Deadly Duel
by Dragonwhisperer
Summary: This is my first Yugioh fic. There's a dueling competition at Yugi's school, but it ends up with Yugi nearly getting killed. R&R Chapter 22 up!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Yugioh characters are not mine; I do not own them. I so hate disclaimers.  
  
(Thoughts)  
  
-Telepathy-  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"I can't believe the school went through with this," Joey said, "I mean a Duel Monsters Tournament in the school, and with a holographic simulator too."  
  
"Hey Joey said a big word," Tristan teased.  
  
"What was that?" Joey asked as he glared at his friend, the others started laughing.  
  
"So are you going to enter Yugi?" Tea asked. She looked over at him, she was finally used to him after his growth spurt a few weeks ago. Along with his voice changing he now resembled Yami, but Yugi didn't like to admit it.  
  
"Of course," Yugi answered as he watched the truck stop on the field where they were unloading the simulator.   
  
"That stadium is huge," Tristan, said, "It's even bigger than those used at Battle City, and those were huge."  
  
"Guess they want the whole school to see it from where ever they are," Joey said.   
  
"Whatever they want they mean business," said Bakura.   
  
"They tournament starts next week," Tristan said, he was reading from a program that the staff had been handing out.  
  
"We're just lucky that Kaiba already graduated," said Joey. "If he were still here, we wouldn't have a chance."  
  
"Speak for yourself Joey, Yugi can take care of himself," said Tristan. The bell rang and the school day ended.   
  
"See you guys on Monday," Tea said as she and Bakura headed home.  
  
"It says the teachers will announce who made it in class on Monday," Tristan said as he read from the program.   
  
"You're absorbed in that thing," Yugi said.  
  
"Well it says what's going to happen, before the tournament that is." Yugi and Joey shook their heads and continued walking.   
  
"Why do you think they're doing something like this?" Joey asked.  
  
"Easy," said Yugi, "for profit. Parents or other people not associated with the school have to pay to get in."  
  
"Are you sure you haven't had your hands on one of these?" Tristan asked.  
  
"Positive."   
  
"So does it say if there's going to be a special guest?" Joey asked.  
  
"I'm lookin'," Tristan answered. He flipped a few pages and gasped.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
Tristan gulped, "Pegasus."  
  
"Yeah what about him?"  
  
"No, I mean he's the special guest."  
  
"Let me see that thing," Yugi said. Tristan gave it to him and he scanned it quickly. "Great," he groaned.  
  
"Just be thankful you don't have to duel him again," Joey said, Yugi shuddered at the memory.  
  
"Well, I'll see you two on Monday," Tristan said as he turned down an opposite corner.  
  
"Some weekend this going to be," Joey said.   
  
"Yeah, a mountain of homework and we might not even have to turn it in," Yugi replied.  
  
"Oh well. See ya later man," Joey waved as he headed down the street as Yugi went inside.  
  
"I heard about the competition," Grandpa said.  
  
"Yeah, you should see the simulator they brought in."  
  
"Good thing they'll be showing it on TV, I won't be able to be there."  
  
"Something's telling me you really don't want to be," Yugi said as he sat down. His grandfather shrugged and he went back to his paper.  
  
***  
  
The weekend passed like a blur and before he knew it Yugi was in his homeroom class, waiting to here which students had made it into the tournament.  
  
"All right students," said the teacher. "I have the names of those who will be competing in this class. There are only three of you so good luck."  
  
"Tell us who it is already," a student in the back said.   
  
He glared at him and read the names. "Mike Roswell, Terry Stinemen, and Yugi Motuoh."  
  
"Oh yeah!" Joey yelled, making Yugi jump out of his seat and hit the floor. "Opps, sorry."  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Yugi said as he got back to his seat.   
  
"You three go to the field," said the teacher, "The judges and principal are there to give you instructions." Yugi and the other two boys left the classroom. When they reached the field about a dozen students were already present.  
  
"All right," said a judge. "You twelve have been chosen to duel in this tournament for a number of reasons which I will not reveal. For now you will stay here and get you decks ready, the tournament will start at ten." They were left there.  
  
Yugi, not wanting to change his deck in the least, went to the bleachers and sat down. He pulled out a book and read, but then a student came over.  
  
"Hey, aren't you going to build your deck up?" he asked.  
  
"I already did," Yugi answered, not taking his eyes off his page.  
  
"Want to have a practice duel then?" Yugi was getting annoyed. His book was getting good and he wanted to wait until the tournament started.  
  
"But if I end up dueling you in tournament I'll already know what cards you have, making it so I'll now what you're going to use, you don't want that do you?"  
  
"Guess not." The boy left him alone, but five other students asked him before they got the hint. When ten rolled around the stands began to fill up. Yugi and the other competitors went to the simulator where the judges were.   
  
"Ladies and gentlemen," the principal yelled into the microphone, "welcome to our first Duel Monsters tournament. Our duelists have been categorized into six sections. They will duel each other until there are only two duelists left, then the final match will begin." The crowd cheered as the holographic board appeared, revealing who will be dueling whom first.  
  
Yugi was to duel third, so he sat in the offered area and watched the students duel. He studied each one's strategies and moves through the whole duel until one was the victor.  
  
"Round two," said the judge. Yugi paid just as close attention in this one as he did the last one, seeing some pretty crazy, but effective strategies. Once during the time out called by a student did he look up at the stands to see who was occupying them. There, smack dab in the middle, sat Maximillion Pegasus.  
  
(Wonderful, now he can watch my every move again.) The duel proceeded and victor was soon decided. (My turn.) He got up and headed toward his side of the arena. He dueled and beat the kid in ten minutes. (I hope all my duels aren't like this,) he thought as he sat down.  
  
The duels went on again few hours, Yugi's duels lasted no more then fifteen minutes or less.   
  
(Great, looks like I'm in the finals.) Since he had won each duel flat out since the competition started he was automatically a finalist and watched the last two duelists duel. Finally it was his turn. He went to his side of the arena and rode up on the to the platform. (From the way I've watched this kid duel it looks like a breeze. I'd have a harder time beating Joey, I wonder why they didn't chose him, may be his grades were bad.) He was about to draw his first card, but then the whole stadium went quiet.   
  
Author's Note: You're going to hate for what happens next if you're a major Yugi-loving fan. I hope you like this. Review me and tell me what you think. 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: It's like the last one, so I'm not even going to say it; you've heard it before.   
  
As before: (Thoughts), -Telepathy-  
  
Chapter 2  
  
He looked around, what's going on? There was no sound, and then a gigantic force rolled underneath the arena.  
  
"Earthquake!" someone yelled. The kid on the other side of the arena wasted no time, he hit the switch and his platform went down. Yugi hit the switch for his, but nothing happened.  
  
"Just my luck," he said. The shaking continued, Yugi held on for his life, then the platform under him fell until it was hanging only by wires. He fell backwards, hitting his right shoulder on the back pole before slipping through the gap underneath. He grabbed the pole with his left hand, his right shoulder hurt too much to move.   
  
"Yugi!" He looked over his shoulder into the stands; Tea and the others were standing there horrified.  
  
"Get out of here!" he yelled back. A staff member came by and dragged them away, ignoring their yells and obviously not knowing he was still out there.   
  
Yugi looked around, the ground under the arena was burning; the electrical system had burned through the bottom. He heard static popping and cracking, then the arena started to shake again. The last thing Yugi could do was look at the stands one more time, seeing no one, and then the arena blew up.  
  
***  
  
"You don't understand he's still in there!" Tea yelled.   
  
"Impossible, everyone in the stands got out," said the man that had dragged them out.  
  
"Not in the stands you knucklehead in the arena," Joey replied. An explosion filled the air, but it was only the cafeteria blowing up.   
  
"Lets go, even if he is in there there's nothing we can do for him," the staff member said.   
  
"But-," Tea started.  
  
"Lets go," he dragged them out of the school and across the street, just as the area where the arena was blew up.   
  
They looked at it in horror, then Tea screamed when realization hit. "Yugi!" She went to run across the street but Bakura grabbed her and pulled her back. Tea didn't resist and cried into his jacket.  
  
"Yugi," Joey said staring at the now burning school. The entire student body and staff were lined up along the streets, watching the same thing, but not knowing who was still in there, and hopefully still alive.  
  
***  
  
Yugi woke up lying face down in the dirt. Everything hurt, he knew his shoulder was broken, he couldn't lift himself with it. When he was up he rolled over in the sitting position and looked around. Everything around him was burning. What do I do? He thought. Pain had almost clouded his mind, but he somehow got himself to his feet. He looked at where he had just been laying; it was in a pool of blood, his blood.  
  
He wiped his face with his sleeve, more blood splashed to the ground. He felt the cut on his forehead, down to the bone. He knew he was hurt in other places; his clothes were covered with blood. He started walking, or staggering, his left ankle hurt almost as much as his shoulder, his right knee hurt almost that much too, and he was trailing blood behind him.  
  
"Great," he muttered and walked to the whole in the wall the explosion had caused. He looked up at the starry sky when he reached the hole in the wall. "They all must think I'm dead," he mumbled.  
  
Keep it together Yugi. Yugi looked around, and then gripped the wall as his head spun. It's just me. He recognized Yami's voice. You have to get to some place where people can help you.   
  
"I can barely move," Yugi replied.  
  
I know, I feel the same pain you do, and I'm surprised that you're able to stand, but you must keep going.   
  
"Hang on," Yugi muttered and threw up, red splashed to the ground.  
  
Wonderful. Yugi finished and wiped his mouth; it didn't do much good because his sleeve was already blood soaked. He coughed and more blood came up. He spit it out and didn't bother to wipe his mouth this time, then started walking.  
  
Author's note: Sorry this one's a little short. Poor Yugi, that explosion really had to have hurt. Tell me if you like it. If you do, I'll update it. 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh; I just love using their characters in stories.   
  
-Telepathy-  
  
(Thoughts)  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"I won't except it," Tea said.  
  
"Except what?" Joey asked.  
  
"That Yugi's dead."   
  
"Tea even you know that someone can't survive that kind of explosion," Tristan said. They were sitting in a shelter made for things like this.   
  
"I don't care," Tea retorted. She was sitting with Bakura, still gripping his jacket.  
  
"Don't kid yourself Tea."  
  
"I won't except it until I see his prone body in a coffin," she snapped.  
  
"She means it," Joey said.  
  
"I wonder where our parents are?" Bakura said. "Not that I'm trying to change the subject but I really don't want to stay here all night."  
  
"Who does?" Tristan asked. The place was packed with the school's students. Tea lost control again and burst into tears as Joey looked outside.  
  
"Yug," he said, "where are ya man?"  
  
Truth was, Yugi was a mile away staggering down a dark street. "I can't go much farther."  
  
-Yes you can, you've come this far. -  
  
"The nearest hospital isn't for another six blocks. I've struggled with just this one."  
  
-You can do it Yugi; once you get there you're as good as home. -   
  
"If I make it," Yugi whispered. He stared walking again, at least his body had gone numb and the pain was just a dull constant ache. The streets were empty; the quake had scared everyone inside. "I wish someone would see me and help me."  
  
-I know Yugi, but no one's out; you'll have to do this on your own. -  
  
"Why me?" He kept walking, stopping only to catch his breath and spit out the blood that slowly filled his mouth. He crossed his second block and stopped to catch his breath again.  
  
-Yugi if you keep making stops like this you'll never get there. -  
  
"Speak for yourself," Yugi muttered, "you're just along for the ride."  
  
-That may be but it doesn't mean I can't do anything. Do you have any idea why you're still standing? -  
  
"No," Yugi answered, "Why?"  
  
-Because of me, I'm blocking most of the pain now. -  
  
"So that's why it's just a dull ache."  
  
-I've also stopped your bleeding. Well, most of it anyway, - he added as Yugi spat out more blood. Yugi kept on walking, only three and a half more blocks to go.  
  
"My right arm feels like a worthless limb."  
  
-Only because you shoulder's broken, - Yami informed him. -Because of that you can't move it, so it just hangs there. -  
  
Yugi gripped his shoulder and pressed on. When crossed the street he could feel his strength begin to fade. "Just a little farther."  
  
-That's what I want to hear. - This street was small, only a few yards long, and Yugi was finally on the last block.  
  
"Home stretch."  
  
-Finally. - Yugi was halfway down the block when Yami spoke again. -You know I won't be able to speak with you once we get in there. -  
  
"I know, the only thing that connects us is the millennium puzzle, and they'll probably take that off and give it to my grandfather when he comes."  
  
-When he finds out. I know everyone that was at that school thinks you're dead. -  
  
"That's what scares me, talk to you later," he said as he crossed the street and into the hospital.   
  
***  
  
The nurse at the front desk was helping a patient fill out papers when someone yelled, "Oh God someone help him!" She looked up from behind her desk as three interns ran over to a young man covered with blood.  
  
"Oh my," she gasped.  
  
"Can we get a stretcher over here?" one of the interns' called.   
  
"Does he have any identification on him or place where I can call to get in touch with a family member?" the nurse called. An intern brought over the young man's wallet. "Don't mean to be rude," she said as she searched it. "Here's something."  
  
***  
  
"I wonder why our parents didn't come and pick us up at the shelter?" Tea said as they sat on the couch.  
  
"Well I couldn't leave you four there," Mr. Motuoh said.   
  
"Couldn't you just say five to make us feel better?" Joey asked.  
  
"I wish I could," Mr. Motuoh answered, and then the phone rang. "I'll get it." He went to the phone and answered it. "Hello." The others sat on the couch and waited. "Yes I am. What, you're serious? Is he all right?" The others stood up. "Yes, yes I can come over there now." He hung up the phone and spun around. "Yugi's alive!"  
  
"I knew it!" Tea shouted.  
  
"All right!" Joey said.  
  
"Lets go," said Mr. Motuoh. They all ran out of the house and flagged down two taxies. When they arrived at the hospital they ran in and met the nurse that had called them.  
  
"Over here," the nurse said.  
  
"Yes, I'm Yugi's grandfather," Mr. Motuoh.  
  
"Yes, from what I know now he's in surgery to repair his broken right shoulder. Along with that he has a sprained left wrist, broken left ankle, a severely dislocated knee, and six cracked or broken ribs also various burns and lacerations. The burns aren't very serious, his clothing protected him and I guess the way his arm was positioned it protected his face."  
  
"Just full of good news aren't you," Joey said.  
  
The nurse looked at him. "If you must know your friend walked in here on his own, no assistance no nothing."  
  
"How'd he do that?"  
  
"Don't ask me, it's a miracle enough that he's alive. That is all I know, the doctor will explain when he comes out of surgery." They nodded and sat down.  
  
"Amazing, he actually walked in here," Tristan said.  
  
"It seems impossible from the injuries that the nurse said he had," said Bakura, "but she saw it and we didn't."   
  
"At least he's alive," Tea said, and then giggled.  
  
"What's so funny?" Joey asked.  
  
"I was right, he wasn't dead." Joey rolled his eyes and they waited for the doctor.  
  
Author's Note: I've updated just as you asked. This one's a little short too; I wasn't paying attention to how long my chapters were when I first wrote this. Send me more reviews and I'll update. 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: You know what I mean.  
  
-Telepathy-  
  
(Thoughts)  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Yugi woke up sometime later. He couldn't remember walking into the hospital, so he didn't know where was, and he couldn't ask because there was a tube in his mouth and he groaned when he realized it.  
  
A nurse must have been in there and heard him because a woman's face appeared above him a second after he groaned. "Hello Yugi, welcome back." Yugi rolled his eyes in reply, making the woman chuckled. "I'm Dr. Kay, you wont be able to pronounce my full name, and no one really can. You're in the emergency ward of the hospital. You have a concerned grandfather and some equally concerned friends out in the waiting room, they told quite a tale about how you got hurt, something about an explosion." Yugi nodded. "Hmm, I'll have to get the full story from you when you can speak again, that tube's going to be in there a while."  
  
(Great,) Yugi thought to himself.  
  
"Are you up for visitors?" Dr. Kay asked. Yugi could barely move, but did his best to shakes his head no. "I didn't think so. I'll tell them you've regained consciousness but went back to sleep, which I'm guessing you're going to do. See you in a few hours." She left the room and Yugi closed his eyes.  
  
***  
  
"I wish she'd come out and tell us some more," Tea said impatiently.   
  
"She won't come back out until Yugi wakes up," Joey said. At his words Dr. Kay walked in.  
  
"He's conscious," she said, "but at the moment he's in no mood for visitors, so I told him to get some rest."  
  
"Better news than what we've been hearing," Joey said. Dr. Kay nodded and said she would be back later on, and then left the room.  
  
Tea stood up. "I'm going to find a pay phone, I have to find out where my parents are."  
  
"Same here," Bakura said and followed her out.   
  
***  
  
Back in the ward, Yugi slept through odd dreams. When he finally woke again light was peeking through the closed blinds over the window. He looked around as best as his eyes could move, his head still hurt, as did the rest of his body.   
  
A nurse came over. "Hello, your grandfather is going to be very happy to hear you're awake. Would you like to see him?" He tried to shrug, but his right shoulder was confined in a hard cast. "I'll get him anyway." She walked out of the room. About a minute later Dr. Kay walked in.  
  
"I believe we can take you off the breathing tube today," she said, "Lets do that now before your grandfather gets here." When she got the tube out Yugi coughed, his chest hurt like a couple of few choice words, which he mumbled under his breath. "I heard that. Your grandfather should be here in a minute."   
  
She had only been gone a few seconds when the door peeked open. "Yugi?" his grandfather said tentatively.  
  
"Over here," Yugi muttered, he knew he was the only one in the room but felt he should say something.  
  
"Can we come in too?" the voice sounded like Tea's.  
  
"Yes, yes," Mr. Motuoh replied. They all walked in, Yugi felt very embarrassed but he couldn't do anything about it.  
  
"Can you answer one question or does it hurt to much to talk?" Tea asked.  
  
"Go on," Yugi answered.  
  
"How in the name of God did you survive?"  
  
"Do I have to answer that one right now?"   
  
"You said you would."  
  
"I don't really know myself, I can barely remember walking in here let alone how I was able to do so."  
  
"Forget how ya got here," Joey said, "it's that you're alive that matters."  
  
"Yeah, alive and paralyzed for the time being," Yugi replied.  
  
"For only a short amount of time," Dr. Kay poked her head in. "I'm not interrupting anything am I?"  
  
"And how long is that short time?" Joey asked.  
  
Dr. Kay's face fell. "Depending on how much progress he does each time he comes to physical therapy, when he gets it, and the work he does at home, he might be fully recovered by the end of June."  
  
"Might?" Tea asked. "But June is like six and a half months away."  
  
  
"Bone takes a long time to heal, and considering which bones are broken it will take that long. He won't even be able to attempt therapy for his legs until his shoulder completely heals and the muscles are back to normal. It takes more strength than you think to move around on crutches."  
  
"She's right," Tristan, said, "I broke my ankle once and I was on crutches for three weeks, it wasn't fun."  
  
"This stinks," Tea, said, "the only reason this happened to Yugi was because his podium jammed. If it hadn't jammed he'd probably not even be in here."  
  
"Well I am and I can still hear you," Yugi mumbled.   
  
"Opps," Joey said, "sorry Yug." They stayed there a little while longer before leaving so Yugi could rest, Mr. Motuoh stayed behind because he didn't want to leave yet.  
  
"Where are our parents?" Tristan asked.  
  
"Don't know," Bakura answered.   
  
"Ryou!" a voice called behind them, Bakura winced at being called by his first name. He turned around to see his little sister Kiyo running toward them.  
  
"Kiyo what are doing here?" He asked as he stooped down and his sister ran into his arms.  
  
"My school had to come here because the shelters were all full," Kiyo answered.  
  
"When did you get here?"  
  
"A few hours ago."  
  
"Have you heard from Mom and Dad yet?" Kiyo shook her head. "Come on then, lets go find that pay phone again."  
  
"At least I got through to my parents," Tea said as she and the others followed.  
  
"If you got through to them where are they?" Joey asked.  
  
"Their car got crushed so they have no way to get to me or my sisters who are at a different shelter. I should probably call their cell phones and make sure they're okay."  
  
"Well wait in line," Tristan said as they found the phone. Bakura made his called and then let Tea go, then Joey, then Tristan.  
  
"Now all we have to do is wait," Tea said as they sat down again. Kiyo had taken Bakura to her teacher to let her know that she was staying with her him.   
  
"I can't believe my dad's stuck at a gas station," Tristan said, "how can you get stuck there?"  
  
"Ask him when he gets here," Bakura and Kiyo had returned. There was a little activity center in the waiting room they were in and Kiyo went over to play.   
  
"She so cute," Tea said as she watched the little girl. A little while later Mr. Motuoh came in.   
  
"How's he doing'?" Joey asked.  
  
"He's resting now," Mr. Motuoh answered. He noticed Kiyo and asked, "Who's that?"  
  
"Bakura's little sister," Joey answered. Mr. Motuoh nodded ad they waited for Tea and Tristan's' parents to show up.  
  
***  
  
Yugi tried to sleep, but his body ached too much and he was kept awake. He noticed his that his grandfather had left his millennium puzzle on the nightstand on his left side. The chain seemed to be intentionally draped into his bed to where he didn't have to move to reach it, so he tangled his sore and stiff sprained fingers in the cool chain so he could speak with Yami.  
  
-How are you doing? - Yami asked when Yugi contacted him.  
  
-I feel like two semi-trucks have hit me at the same time then hit by a blowtorch. -  
  
-You weren't burned that bad, your clothes blocked most of that blast, your vest was tough enough that it was only darkened a bit. -  
  
-Doesn't count for all the bones that were broken, - Yugi pointed out.  
  
-And time will heal them, - Yami reminded him.   
  
-I wonder where the others are going to go to school now, most of the school was destroyed in the quake. -  
  
-Well is there a local collage nearby the school? -  
  
-Yes, but I'm sure it will be closed down for a week or two even if there wasn't any damage. -   
  
-So what, there's still a school. - Yugi was about to reply, but then an aftershock shook the building, making him freeze with fear. -Are you all right? - Yami asked. Yugi couldn't answer; all the memories of the explosion came flooding before his eyes. His breath quickened and his heart beat faster as fear overcame his state of mind.   
  
Dr. Kay remembered the cause of Yugi's injuries and came in to check on him and noticed the state he was in. "Shh," she said as she came over, "it's all right, that quake that caused you to come here won't happen again." She wasn't too sure about that, but it seemed right to say it. "Relax or you'll hurt yourself more."  
  
Yugi relaxed and noticed the pain in his chest caused by the hard breathing, obviously his broken ribs weren't suited for that kind of breathing. Yugi gritted his teeth as his chest pounded, but the tightening of his muscles jarred his broken shoulder, causing him more pain. "I've never liked chain reactions," he hissed through his teeth.   
  
"Relax then," Dr. Kay said. Yugi obeyed and the pain slowly ebbed.   
  
"That's the first one I've felt since I got here."  
  
"You've been out for most of them, though they were small, almost unnoticeable."  
  
"How nice." Dr. Kay smiled and left him alone.  
  
-Feeling better now? - Yami asked, a slight teasing note in his voice.   
  
-Shut up, I didn't hear you try to help.   
  
Yami didn't reply at first. -Sorry. I don't mean to change the subject, but how long is it going to take you to completely recover? -  
  
-Dr. Kay doesn't know for sure yet, but she estimated about until the time school ends. She doesn't know when I'll be leaving the hospital either. -   
  
-Just be happy when they do let you out, - Yami said.  
  
-I will be. -  
  
Author's note: There, someone reviewed me and asked me if Yugi ever spoke with Yami, well this chapter is mostly that. Isn't Bakura's sister cute? I made her up though, but it's still cute anyway. Just so you know, she five years old, I don't think I've put that in anywhere. I also made up Tea's twin sisters; yeah I like making siblings for the original characters. 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh. Writing these feel like a waste of time.  
  
-Telepathy-  
  
(Thoughts)  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Only two weeks after the earthquake did the others have to go back to school.  
  
"I can't believe they're makin' us go to that nearby collage," Joey said as they walked to the hospital to see Yugi.  
  
"Well where do you expect them to put us?" Tea asked. "The only other high school is already over crowded, you can't expect them to take another twenty-five hundred kids."  
  
"Point taken but we're at a collage for cyin' out loud, I wasn't planning on goin' to one a those for awhile."  
  
"Oh well Joey."  
  
"Sometimes I wonder why those two even bother to start talking to one another," Bakura said to Tristan.  
  
"I'm surprised they haven't ripped each others' throats out yet," Tristan replied. They finally got the hospital and went to Yugi's room.   
  
Yugi was laying there as usual, flipping through the channels on the TV with the remote.  
  
"Lucky Yugi gets to ditch school and watch TV all day," Joey said as they walked in.  
  
"I wouldn't say ditching," Yugi replied, "and if you must know this thing has no selection of channels even if it tried." He turned off the TV and put the remote on the table to his left. "So how much homework did you get?"  
  
"A whole lot," Joey answered.   
  
"Do you want try doing some Yugi?" Tea asked, "you won't have as much make up work to do."  
  
"I might as well," Yugi said, "but I'll need your notes."  
  
"Don't even try reading Joey's," Tristan said, "they look like chicken scratch."  
  
"Yours don't look any better," Joey replied.   
  
"Please don't fight," Bakura said, "it was enough listening to Tea all the way here." They worked on homework, Yugi wrote as best as he could with his left hand, but then Tea took over and wrote down what ever he said in-between her homework.   
  
When Mr. Motuoh walked in he was surprised to see what they were doing. "Well here's something I never thought I'd see."  
  
"What do you mean?" Joey asked. "The fact that Yugi's doing his homework or that we're all doing together?"  
  
"Both," was the older man's answer. "So," he said smiling, "figure out anything?"  
  
"Yeah, Yugi can't write with his left hand even if his life depended on it," Joey answered, then got hit in the head by a cushion that Yugi threw at him after Bakura gave it to him.  
  
"He can throw with his left hand pretty well," Tea pointed. They all left a little later so Yugi could rest and so the others could do a project they were assigned, Yugi was made part of their group but they didn't want him to have to worry about it.  
  
***  
  
One weekend the others had things to do, so Tea went down to the hospital by herself to visit Yugi that afternoon. None of them had been there in a few days and she wanted to see how much more he had recovered. As she was heading toward his room a voice called from behind her. She turned around to Dr. Kay, looking grim and tried.  
  
"Is something wrong Dr. Kay?" Tea asked as the woman approached.   
  
Dr. Kay nodded. "Last night, well I should say only a few hours ago, Yugi stopped breathing. We didn't notice until the alarms went off. By then his heart rate had dropped to almost zero. He's stable now, but there's no way people can visit him now."  
  
Tea nodded, shocked. "Will he be okay?"  
  
"It's hard to say. At times he seems so much better and then he goes down hill again. I'm sorry Tea, I must've just ruined your day by telling this."  
  
"It's okay," Tea replied, close to tears, "I would have found out anyway." She turned around and ran out of the hospital. She was only able to keep herself under control until she reached the park and sat down on a bench, and then started crying.  
  
"Tea?" The girl looked up to see Bakura.  
  
"Oh, I didn't hear you coming," she said, but then she just burst into fresh tears.  
  
"What happened?" he asked as he sat down next to her. Tea told him what Dr. Kay had told her. "That isn't good."  
  
"I'm scared, I've known him since kindergarten, I afraid he might," she was so worked up she could even finish what she wanted to say.  
  
"He's not going to die," Bakura said, he knew exactly what she was going to say before she even said. He was about to say something else, but then Tea flung her arms around his neck and cried into shoulder.   
  
"Sorry Bakura," she whispered, but only held on tighter.   
  
"Uh," he was slightly dumbfounded, he hadn't been expecting it, and he had an odd feeling that Tristan and Joey were watching from a nearby bush. They were they only other people besides Yugi that knew his true feelings for Tea.   
  
Tea finally let go and he offered her his handkerchief. "Thanks," she said as she wiped her eyes.  
  
"What makes you think Yugi's just going to give like that?" Bakura asked.  
  
"I don't know, but I just can't help it." She gave him back his handkerchief and got up. "I need to get home."  
  
"Do you want me to walk you?" Bakura asked.   
  
"No, I'll be okay," she answered and headed down the street. Bakura felt like throwing himself in the pond at that second, but then thought better of it when he heard Tea scream. Bakura jumped to his feet and ran in the direction Tea had just gone in, but not before grapping three stones from the edge of the pond. He ran down the street and arrived in time to watch a street thug and his two cronies rip of Tea's shirt, revealing a lot more then Tea desired.  
  
"Street trash," Bakura hissed as he threw one of his rocks, which hit dead on in the back of one of the thugs' heads  
  
"Ouch," the thug said rubbing the back of his head. "Who threw that?" At that same second a second rock found its mark on another thug's forehead.   
  
"Why don't you knuckleheads turn around and find out?" Bakura yelled, getting ready the throw his last stone.  
  
"What makes you think you can take on all three of us?" the last thug asked.  
  
"Nothing," Bakura answered, "but I damn will try." All three thugs charged him, but Bakura wasn't alone.  
  
"Why don't we make this a three on three," Joey said as he and Tristan came up behind Bakura. Joey and Tristan had more experience in street fighting, but Bakura didn't and had a harder time, but some old martial art lessons he had take when he was younger came back and were a great help.  
  
Once Joey got his guy off for a minute he pulled off his coat and tossed it to Tea so she didn't have stand around like she was anymore. Finally all three of the thugs were running down the street, limping or holding sore limps as they ran.  
  
"I hope I won't have to do that again," Bakura said as he walked back over to Tea. She was shaking and tears were streaming down her cheeks.   
  
"I guess I should have said yes," she said, "this probably wouldn't have happened if I had said yes to you walking me home."  
  
"Don't blame yourself," Bakura said as Joey and Tristan came up behind him.  
  
Joey looked around, "The Game shop's less then a block away from here, lets see if Mr. Motuoh'll let us in."  
  
"I'm sure he will," Tristan replied. They walked the block and the Game shop came into view. When they walked in Mr. Motuoh nearly dropped a box of cards he was holding.  
  
"What happened?" he asked.  
  
"Street thugs," Joey answered. "Tea was walkin' home when they came up on her, with an idea to have some fun, luckily we just a block behind her."  
  
"She was lucky Bakura was a block behind her and has a good arm when comes to throwin' stones," Tristan corrected. "We showed up just before they were about to pound Bakura into the side walk."  
  
"Well whatever you did you won," Mr. Motuoh said, "Come on, lets go inside so Tea can call her mother to come and pick her up." They went into the house and Tea phoned her mother, who promised she would be there in fifteen minutes or less.  
  
"I believe I know why Tea is upset," Mr. Motuoh said, he didn't look too happy either.  
  
"Tea told me already," Bakura said.  
  
"What happened?" Joey asked. Mr. Motuoh told them about Yugi's current condition. "That is not good."  
  
"Maybe we can see him tomorrow," Tea suggested.   
  
"We might," Mr. Motuoh replied.  
  
"You're not walkin' alone," Joey said, Tea she gave him a dirty look.  
  
"I'm sure your mother would want that to," Mr. Motuoh said. Tea sighed and nodded. About ten minutes later Tea's mother arrived, and Tea's sisters were with her.   
  
While Tea changed in the bathroom Mr. Motuoh told Mrs. Gardiner what happened and why it happened.  
  
"Well then she is very fortunate to have such concerned friends around," Mrs. Gardiner said when Mr. Motuoh finished.  
  
"I know," Tea said as she came in and gave Joey back his coat. She sat down with her sisters who started whispering questions to her and giggling.  
  
Bakura felt like he should go. "Sorry to leave so soon, but I need to get home soon." It was a complete lie, but it worked any way.   
  
Tea watched him leave. "Mom, I need to talk to him, can I go with him? I promise I won't leave his side."  
  
Mrs. Gardiner sighed, "All right, but take you sister's cell phone just in case, since you keep forgetting yours back home on the charger." Tea nodded, blushing a little as one of her sisters gave her a cell phone, then she ran after Bakura.  
  
Author's Note: Don't worry, Yugi will be fine. If you haven't guessed it yet, it is TeaxBakura relationship. Not a whole lot happens with that in this story. The next chapter is going to be interesting. Review me if you like it so far. 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: You know what should be written.   
  
-Telepathy-  
  
(Thoughts)  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Bakura was only halfway down the block when he heard Tea calling him. He turned around and waited for her to catch up.  
  
"Is something wrong?" he asked.  
  
Tea shook her head. "I never really got a chance to thank you."  
  
"That's what you chased me down for?" he asked smiling. She shook her head, cheeks slightly pink.  
  
"I just want to talk a bit," she said.  
  
"About what?" Bakura asked as they started walking.   
  
"Actually I forgot," Tea answered giggling. Bakura shook his head.   
  
"I'm surprised your mother let come out here," he said.  
  
"She made me take my sister's cell phone," Tea replied. "And I promised I wouldn't leave your side until I was ready to go home, then I would have to call her to come get me or have you walk me home, sorry."  
  
"That's okay, it's reasonable enough." They walked on in silence, only until they reached the end of a block where they were only a few miles from the pier and the water was in view.   
  
"Look at the sunset," Tea said as she went to the side railing. "It's making the water look orange and red."  
  
"Mm-hmm," Bakura replied as he came up beside her.   
  
"There seems to be something on your mind Bakura," Tea said.   
  
Bakura gulped and stared at the water. "What makes you say that?"  
  
  
"I don't know; it just seems that way."   
  
Bakura stared at the water for a minute. "Actually there is." He gripped the railing. "But I don't know how to say it, I've never had to say something like this before."  
  
He felt Tea put her hand on his. "Then relax, that always helps me."  
  
"It's a bit difficult to relax when it comes to confessing something like this."  
  
"Confess?" Tea asked. Bakura gulped again.  
  
***  
  
  
Not to far away, in fact only across the street and peeking around from behind a corner, Joey and Tristan watched them, a video camera in Tristan's hand.  
  
"I think he's finally going to say it," Joey said.  
  
"And I'm going to make sure Yugi doesn't miss it," Tristan said as he turned the camera on.  
  
***  
  
Back over at the rail, Tea was wondering what Bakura meant. "Confess? What do you mean by that?"  
  
"I've known this for awhile, Joey, Tristan and Yugi have known too. It's actually about you, but it's nothing bad I can assure you, I just hope I'm not chasing something I'll never catch."  
  
  
"What are you trying to say?" Tea asked. She took her hand from his, "And since it is about me you're not backing out of it now."  
  
"I know, and I don't plan to, it just may take me a few minutes to get out."  
  
"Well I'm patient, but don't take too long."  
  
Bakura smiled. "I'll try not to." He thought for a minute trying to figure out a way to make this easier. "Let me ask you something, and no I'm not trying to get off the subject," he added when Tea gave him a stern look. "How many boyfriends have you had?"  
  
"Well that's an easy question," Tea replied, "none."  
  
"Really? I would have though you've had at least two."  
  
"What makes you say that? I'm not that attractive."  
  
(Go look in the mirror.) "Another question then, you don't have to answer it if it's too personal, but is your heart set on anyone right now?"  
  
"Well, love wise no, but worry and hope wise yes, I don't think I need to say who. Does this make your so called 'confession,' any easier?"  
  
"Yes and no, but that's what I have to deal with. Yes because I have a little less to worry about, no because I still don't know how to say it yet."  
  
"Bakura you're hopeless!" Tea said laughing.  
  
"I know, and if I don't say this soon I'm going to throw myself over the rail." Tea laughed even harder, clutching her side and holding onto the rail as she laughed.   
  
"But then I'd be worrying about two of my best friends instead of one," Tea said when she got herself under control.  
  
"You would?"  
  
"Of course I would. You're just as important to me as all of my other friends." She looked around. "You'd better tell me what's on your mind soon Bakura, the sun's almost completely set."  
  
"I know." Tea noticed the sound of his voice, and then finally realized how important this was.   
  
"Good head and tell Bakura, if it's nothing bad then you shouldn't worry about me getting mad at you."  
  
"It's not you getting mad at me," Bakura replied, "It's the chance of rejection."  
  
"Rejection?" (What could he possibly have to say that would make him so worried about rejection?)   
  
"Tea I didn't just come to your rescue today because I was nearby, it was something more." He turned and looked at her, straight in the eye. "You mean much more to me then I've shown you."  
  
"Bakura are you trying to say that you're..."  
  
Bakura nodded. "I love you Tea, and I probably always will."  
  
"Bakura." Tea closed her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks and then she flung her arms around his neck. "I lied when I said I didn't have me heart set on anyone, it was set on you."   
  
Bakura held her tightly until she stopped crying. "Well now that I have that off of my chest I can on with my life."  
  
"How long have you been keeping this from me?" Tea asked as she dried her eyes.  
  
"About two months. What about you?"  
  
"About half that," Tea answered.   
  
Bakura leaned his back against the rail, finally looking relaxed. "What do you think your parents are going to say?"  
  
"I really don't know, like I told you I've never had a boyfriend before."  
  
"Do you think I've had any girlfriends?" Bakura asked.  
  
"I don't know, maybe back England but not here."  
  
"I've never had a girlfriend," Bakura said, "I'm as much of a novice as you are." Tea laughed at his tone and the use of words.  
  
"Well okay then, but let me ask you this, have you ever kissed a girl?"  
  
"Only my mother and sister thank you very much," Bakura answered smugly, Tea only laughed.   
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh but the way you answered the question I just couldn't help it."  
  
"I've noticed," Bakura replied, Tea couldn't help it and laughed again. Bakura smiled and shook his head.  
  
"Okay, I'll stop laughing now."  
  
"No you won't, you'll never stop laughing."  
  
"Stop it!" Tea said as she burst into giggles.   
  
"I didn't do a thing, I'm just talking," Bakura replied as he looked up at the darkening sky. "Maybe I should start walking you home."  
  
"Okay," Tea replied, finally over her giggles. They were about to go, but then something out in the water caught Tea's eye. "Bakura look, dolphins." They leaned against the railing and watched the aquatic animals jump and play. "I wonder what it's like, living in the sea."  
  
"Probably very wet," Bakura said.  
  
"What happened to the Bakura that we go to school with?" Tea asked.   
  
"At home," Bakura replied smiling.  
  
"Come on, lighten up," Tea said as she elbowed him gently. "You're still all stressed."  
  
"I'll probably be back to normal tomorrow," he said, "Tonight I'll probably sleep better than I have in weeks."  
  
"Not me, I'm probably going to be up all night worrying about Yugi," Tea said.  
  
"I know, but remember he's always been stronger than he looked."  
  
"I know, remember last this year, before Yugi got taller our science teacher had him and the tallest guy in our class run around the track and see who would make it back first."  
  
"Yeah, everyone thought Jack was going to win, but we knew how fast Yugi was."  
  
"Yeah he always out ran us at Duelist Kingdom, big or small," Tea pointed out.  
  
"It really didn't prove anything, remember he made them run the same race again after Yugi got his growth spurt, he still won."  
  
"I remember what the teacher said when the race was finished, 'It doesn't matter how big you are, and just how fit you are.'"  
  
"That definitely applies to Tristan and Joey, they've never been able to keep up with Yugi." They finished watching the dolphins, but didn't start walking. They just stood there, watching the water, as the sky got darker. They only snapped back into reality when Tea's cell phone went off.  
  
"Hello? Yes Mom I'm fine. We're over by the pier, yes I'm still with him." Tea paused as her mother spoke, then giggled, "Maybe you'll find out when we get home. No I'm fine, I can walk home. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, okay, bye Mom." She turned to Bakura, "She was just wondering what I was doing, and she's just leaving the Game shop now."  
  
"Maybe we should start heading to you place," Bakura suggested.   
  
"Yeah, but don't be surprised if my Mom passes by us." Bakura shrugged and they started walking. They had been walking for about ten minutes when Tea's mother and her sisters drove up slowly beside them.  
  
"What have you two been up to?" Tea sister Melody asked.  
  
"Nothing," Tea answered.  
  
"Then why are you holding hands?" Crystal asked.  
  
Tea had forgotten about that. "Uh?"  
  
"And did you know Joey and Tristan are following you with a video camera?"  
  
"What?" Bakura and Tea asked as they whipped around. A few yards behind them were Tristan and Joey.  
  
"You weren't supposed to say that!" Joey yelled.  
  
"Oh well," Tristan said, "we got something to show Yugi when he gets better."   
  
"See ya," Joey said as they ran across the street and out of sight.  
  
"Ah man," Tea moaned. "I didn't want them to know."  
  
"They followed you out," Mrs. Gardiner said. "I had a feeling my daughter might have a boyfriend by the end of the day."  
  
"Mom!" Tea shouted, blushing scarlet.  
  
"See you at home," she said and drove away.   
  
Tea grumbled as they watched the car disappear. "So," she said, "want to go hunt down Joey and Tristan?"  
  
"No, I don't see the point, they already know."  
  
"Good point," Tea groaned as they started walking. They were quite for about five minutes until Bakura noticed there was no one around.  
  
"Well," he said stopping, "they won't see this." He quickly kissed Tea on the lips before she could say anything.  
  
"Well that was quick," she said, and bright smile on her face.   
  
"The next one won't be," he assured her.   
  
"How will I know that?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck.   
  
"Like this," he answered and kissed her again, lingering a bit before breaking it.  
  
"Okay," she said as she let go of him and took his hand again. They walked the rest of the way in silence. When they reached the apartment building Tea lived in they noticed her parents and sisters waiting on the balcony.  
  
"Has he kissed you yet?" Crystal asked.  
  
"What should I say?" Tea whispered to Bakura.  
  
"Whatever you want," he answered.   
  
Tea looked up at her sibling, "Yes," she said proudly, "twice." Both of her sisters giggled and went inside.   
  
"Are you sure that's a guy?" Tea's father asked.  
  
"Dad!" Tea yelled angrily. She looked at Bakura. "I apologize for my father's rudeness, I'm going to go kill him now." Bakura laughed as she ran through the door and out of sight. He stayed there until she appeared on the balcony and slapped her father on the shoulder and started yelling at him for how rude he was.  
  
"Would you like to come in?" Mrs. Gardiner asked.  
  
"No thanks," Bakura answered, "I need to be getting home myself." He waved good-bye and head home.  
  
Author's Note: Tea probably just hates her dad right now. But both and Bakura probably really hate Tristan and Joey. This is one of my longer chapters, but they may get longer, I hate formatting. 


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh.  
  
-Telepathy-  
  
(Thoughts)  
  
Chapter 7  
  
The rest of the week passed, Tristan and Joey had avoided Tea and Bakura the rest of the weekend, but Tea yelled at them once they were all in homeroom.  
  
When the week was over Tea wanted to go and see how Yugi was doing, so she and Bakura headed down there that Friday after school.  
  
"I hope we can see him," Tea said as they walked to his room.  
  
"I was wondering if I'd see any of you again," Dr. Kay said when they passed by a counter she was standing at.  
  
"How's Yugi doing?" Tea asked.  
  
"Like his little incident never happened. He's been wondering if you guys will ever come back."   
  
"Thanks Dr. Kay," Tea said and grabbed Bakura's hand and dragged him down the hall. When they got to his room Tea opened the door and poked her head in. "Yugi?"  
  
It looked as though Yugi had been sleeping. He opened his eyes when he heard her. "Hi."  
  
"Were you sleeping?"  
  
"Not really, I thought you guys had completely forgotten about me."  
  
Tea walked in hugged him gently, "I've been worried about you all week."  
  
"Sorry," Yugi replied as Bakura walked in.  
  
"Doesn't matter," Tea said, "you're better now."   
  
Bakura was leaning against the wall by the door, not too intent on making conversation. When the door opened and Joey and Tristan walked in, they spotted him and stopped.  
  
"Hello," Bakura said.  
  
"Uh," Joey began, "we'll come back later."  
  
"Very good idea," Tea said, she was still steamed at them and hadn't spoken to them very much that week.  
  
"Am I missing something?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Yep," Joey said as Bakura shut the door.  
  
"What happened?" Yugi asked.  
  
"You'll find out later." Tea said. She hugged him again. "We'll see you later, those two probably have something to show you."   
  
"Unless I take it from them," Bakura said as he opened the door. They waved and walked out. About a minute later Joey and Tristan burst into the room.  
  
"Hi," Joey said as he closed the door.  
  
  
What may I ask is going on?" Yugi asked.  
  
"You'll see," Joey replied as Tristan pulled the camera out of his backpack.   
  
"What did you do?" Yugi asked as Joey handed him the camera.  
  
"Well," Tristan began. "Saturday wasn't really the best day of everyone's life, it was the day we found out you nearly died, again. So Bakura and Tea went out for a walk, and we of course followed, as you can see on the tape."  
  
"Yeah, swearing and all," Yugi said as the camera jerked as Tristan nearly tripped and almost dropped it, which caused him to swear like a bee had stung him.  
  
"Yeah well, we followed them to the pier," Joey continued, "They talked most of the time so we didn't record a lot whole lot of that."  
  
"Does Bakura confess?" Yugi asked. His friends nodded and he watched it happen on camera. "Bakura must've felt so much better after that."  
  
"Yeah, but they found out about this though, you'll see here." Yugi watched as Tristan and Joey followed Tea and Bakura down the street, then when Tea's mother and sisters arrived and talked to them, then when they told Tea and Bakura who was following them.  
  
"I hated that," Joey said as they watched and listened to him exclaim, "You didn't need to say that," on the screen.   
  
"But they didn't find out about this," Tristan said. "We hid behind some dumpsters and put it on full zoom." Yugi watched and his friends laughed when his jaw dropped.  
  
"That was actually the second time they did it," Joey said. "He did it so fast the first time that if we hadn't been watchin' 'um so closely we would've missed it."  
  
"Now here's the really funny part," Tristan said. They had actually followed them all the way to Tea's house and filmed everything, even Tea's father insulting Bakura, Yugi laughed so much that his half healed ribs gave him a good punishment.  
  
"Don't show me anything like that again until my ribs are healed," he gasped.  
  
"Sorry man," Joey said as Tristan put the camera away.  
  
"It's okay," Yugi said, still gasping a bit, "you answered all my questions for me."   
  
"That's good," Tristan said.   
  
"Tea's still mad at us," Joey said, "as you saw earlier."  
  
"Bakura doesn't look to pleased with you either."  
  
"He wasn't," Tristan replied, "He chucked his book bag at me on Monday morning, hit me right in the forehead."  
  
"Well if he can through rocks as well as he can throw his book bag I'm not surprised," Joey said.  
  
"Huh?" Yugi asked stupidly. Joey explained to him what happened earlier on Saturday.  
  
"If had been there I would knocked them for a loop too," Yugi said angrily.  
  
"Well we took care of them," Joey said. "I think Bakura broke one a the guy's arms.  
  
"Bakura did tell me he had taken a martial arts class when he was younger," Yugi said.  
  
"Yeah well, that's one day we'll never forget."  
  
"I don't think Tea or Bakura will either." Tristan and Joey stayed a little while longer until the nurse came and shooed them out.  
  
Author's Note: Another short one, sorry. See, I told you Yugi would be fine. 


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh.   
  
-Telepathy-  
  
(Thoughts)   
  
Chapter 8  
  
About two and a half months passed after the earthquake, and Yugi was finally recovering. Tea had come to visit him. When she got to his room she went to open the door, but it was already open, and it was empty.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Tea!" someone called. Tea looked to her left, Mr. Motuoh stood at the checkout desk, and Yugi was sitting next to him in a wheel chair. Tea grinned and ran over and hugged Yugi.  
  
"Ouch, okay, hi Tea," said as she hugged him and squeezed his still broken shoulder.  
  
"Sorry Yugi," she said as she let him go.  
  
"Where's Bakura?" Yugi asked, "You two seemed to never be apart now."  
  
"He had to get home early today," Tea answered. "So, are you finally going home?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"And just in time for the holidays," Mr. Motuoh said with a smile.  
  
"Yeah lucky you Yugi. If you start going back to school anytime this week you'll only have the rest of this week and next week, then another three weeks off."  
  
"I'll probably be doing make up homework," Yugi grumbled.  
  
"But you shouldn't have to much. The teachers have been really lenient on the homework, and you've been doing a lot of it with us."  
  
"I hope so," Yugi said as his grandfather started pushing his wheel chair.  
  
"You might want this on," Mr. Motuoh said as he hand his grandson his coat. Tea helped Yugi get it on and they headed for the exit.  
  
"This'll be your first time outside since you came here," Tea said.  
  
"Yeah," Yugi said, "Has anything changed?"  
  
"Not really, except for some cracks and things like that."  
  
"Don't remind me," Yugi said as they went through the door. "It's cold!"  
  
"Well yeah," Tea said, "winter started just two weeks ago."  
  
"And I've been in a temperature regulated building," Yugi reminded her.  
  
"Oh well, you'll get used to it."  
  
"How long will it take for him to get used to that collage?" Mr. Motuoh asked.  
  
"Are classes are mostly in this one area," Tea answered, "the lockers aren't to far from there. It shouldn't take him too long to get it."  
  
"But it's probably going to be Joey who's taking him everywhere," Mr. Motuoh said, "He has all the same classes as Yugi."  
  
"Speak of the devil," Tea said pointing in front of them. Standing at the crosswalk were Joey and Tristan. "Tristan! Joey! Wait up!"  
  
The boys turned in their direction. "Hey!" Joey exclaimed and he and Tristan ran over. "All right, you got out."  
  
"How does it feel to be out of there?" Tristan asked.  
  
"Cold," Yugi replied, everyone laughed.   
  
"So are you going to come back to school before break starts and show every that you're still alive?" Joey asked. "Some people still believe your dead."  
  
"I'm not surprised," Yugi said as they crossed the street.   
  
"I can't wait to see some of the other students faces, and the teachers aren't going to be expecting you back either."  
  
"Well they get to see me when I come back," Yugi said.  
  
"That's something we'll have to decide tonight," Mr. Motuoh. Yugi groaned at his grandfather's reply.   
  
"Hey they sooner you get back the less make up work ya gotta do," Joey said as they reached the Game shop.   
  
"Home at last Yugi," Tea said as Mr. Motuoh unlocked the door and Tea held it open so he could push the wheel chair in. Once they were in the house Yugi seemed to finally relax.  
  
"I'm fighting myself about if I should call Bakura or not," Tea said.  
  
"Go head," Mr. Motuoh, "you can use the phone if you want."  
  
  
"Thank you very much." She dialed in his number and was lucky he was the one who picked it up. "Guess where I am?"  
  
"I don't know; I'm not good at guessing games."   
  
"Well," Tea said, "if you want to make this easy. I'm over at Yugi's place."  
  
"Isn't he still in the hospital?"  
  
Tea giggled, "Nope."  
  
"Hey no fair!" Tea held the phone away as he yelled, laughing her head off.  
  
"He doesn't sound happy," Joey said.  
  
"Okay," Tea said as she put the phone back to her ear. "If you're not busy you can come over."  
  
"But that's just it, my mom had to go out and I have to baby sit Kiyo."  
  
"Oh but you hate that so much," Tea teased. She knew he never got tired of babysitting her.  
  
"Shut up, I guess I'll just have to see him tomorrow after school or something."  
  
"Yeah," Tea said, "see you tomorrow then."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Tea hung up the phone. "He's babysitting Kiyo."  
  
"We figured as much," Tristan said. They stayed for a while until they knew Yugi was tired of them just sitting there staring at him, then they all went home.  
  
"I thought they would never go home," Yugi said as he tried to move the wheel chair on his own.  
  
"You're not going to do much except go in a circle doing that Yugi," his grandfather said.  
  
"I know," Yugi grumbled.   
  
"So what do want to do?" Yugi stared at his grandfather. "Well whatever you want to do now you're going to need help." Yugi groaned. "Do you just want to go to your room and get your head on straight?"  
  
"Please," Yugi answered. Grandpa took him to his room and put him where he could reach whatever he wanted.  
  
"Call me if you need anything," he said as he left.   
  
Yugi sighed and looked around, "Exactly as I left two months ago."  
  
"Well of course it is," Yami said as he projected himself from the puzzle. "You're grandfather doesn't come in here, except to get your laundry sometimes, but since you haven't been home he's had no need."  
  
"Okay then." He looked around again, "I feel worthless sitting in this thing!"  
  
Yami laughed, "Well you had to get stuck on that platform."  
  
"That wasn't my fault."  
  
"I know, but maybe if you had known how to do something you would have walked out of there without any injuries."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Yugi, just because you've unlocked the secret of the millennium puzzle, doesn't mean you've learned its magic."  
  
"Magic?"  
  
"Yes, you think I'm the only one that inhabits that thing that hangs around your neck? No, no my friend, with the magic in there you could have been able to summon cards like you did in Kaiba's virtual reality game."  
  
Yugi stared at him, "I can?"  
  
"Yes, Bakura's done it, well, I really shouldn't say it was him when it was really the evil spirit that lives inside his ring."  
  
"Poor Bakura, he never seems to have anything good going for him."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Unless we don't forget that little recording that Joey and Tristan made for me."  
  
Yami laughed, hard. "That was probably the best and worst day of his life."  
  
"Yeah. Neither he nor Tea were very happy with those two for the next three weeks." He laughed, but then stopped when he heard footsteps coming toward his room.   
  
"Yugi?"  
  
"Get back in the puzzle," Yugi whispered. Yami disappeared as Grandpa opened the door.  
  
"I know you can't do too much," he said, "but I thought putting the tree up might not a bad idea."  
  
"You mean the new one we got last year, the one where we have to put all the branches on?"  
  
"The very same."  
  
"Okay." Grandpa smiled and wheeled him out into the living room where all the stuff was already all over the floor.  
  
"Now I know why I get the stuff out," Yugi said as he surveyed the mess.  
  
"Very funny," Grandpa said. The phone rang and he groaned. "That must be about the order of cards and things for my annual Christmas sale."  
  
"I wish I could help you this year." Yugi said as the man went and answered the phone. Yugi looked around, his grandfather had already separated the branches into the three piles. Yugi got an idea.   
  
He picked up the pole that had already been mounted onto the stand and set down next to him. Then he started to put on the branches, from bottom, to middle, to top, in sections so he could rotate it and do the same thing until all the branches were on.  
  
By then he still knew his grandfather would be on the phone for a while. The top of the tree was in reach, and it had already been opened from being squashed inside the box all year, all Yugi had to do was set it on top. He noticed the camera was also within reach.  
  
He got a hold of it and turned it on. "Look what I did with just my left hand and arm working." He said as he recorded the newly up tree. "Lets see what Grandpa does when he walks in." As soon as he finished speaking he heard his grandfather hang up the phone.  
  
"Okay Yugi lets get started on that- hey!" He walked in and noticed that the tree was already up.  
  
"Look what I did with my only working appendage," Yugi said as he recorded his grandfather's stunned face. "I would have put the decorations on too, but I could reach them."  
  
"Well you certainly showed me," Grandpa said. Yugi laughed and turned of the camera.  
  
"I'm going to pay for it tomorrow," Yugi said, "My left shoulder is already sore."  
  
"Then why don't you let me put on the decorations then."  
  
"Okay," Yugi said as he handed the camera to him. He watched as he grandfather put as many decorations on the tree as it could hold. He was about to put the star on when the phone rang again.   
  
"Will they ever leave me alone," Grandpa grumbled as he went to get the phone.  
  
Yugi stared at the tree. -So, do you want put that star on and surprise your grandfather again? - Yami asked.  
  
-If you can show me how in a matter of minutes, - Yugi replied silently so his grandfather wouldn't hear him.  
  
-Easier said then done, - Yami said, and then flooded Yugi's mind with the knowledge of the magic that the puzzle contained. Yugi's head spun for a second, but once his eyes focused he knew exactly what to do. He pulled out his deck and found the Kuriboh card. Drawing the power from his puzzle, he tossed the card just above his head. Almost instantly it transformed into the real Kuriboh.  
  
"This is going to be fun." He directed the Kuriboh to take the star and out it on top of the tree. It did as it was told, but as soon as it got the star on it had to race behind Yugi's wheel chair as Grandpa came back into the room.  
  
"Now how did you do that?" Grandpa asked.  
  
"Uh," Yugi didn't quite know how to answer that one.  
  
-Just go ahead and tell him, - Yami said, -you could trust him. -  
  
Yugi whistled and the Kuriboh came out from its hiding place. "That's how."  
  
His grandfather's jaw dropped. "But how?"  
  
"Believe me, you really don't want to know."  
  
"I think I have an idea," Mr. Motuoh. "Especially if it has to do with your Millennium Puzzle."  
  
"That's exactly how it's done." He raised his hand and the Kuriboh became a card once more. "If I had known how to do this earlier I could have gotten out of that accident before it happened."  
  
"Too bad." Mr. Motuoh looked at the tree. "Well, at least you've proven that you can do things while sittin' in that chair." Yugi grinned and his grandfather chuckled.   
  
"So about school this week," Yugi said, "what am I going to do?"  
  
"Well it's mostly up to you, you're going to be the one that's going, not me."  
  
"I might as well get back as soon as I can, I'll have less make-up assignments to do. I don't want to fail this year, it's my senior year."  
  
"I know, but you can kiss all the senior social things good-bye."  
  
"Oh well, I didn't really want to go to those any way." Grandpa shook his head and took Yugi back to his room.  
  
Author's Note: Guess I made up for the last chapter being so short. Yay Yugi got to go home. Review me and tell me what you think. Sorry, I won't be updating much after this. I have a really busy week ahead of me and I'm almost never going to be home. Sorry! 


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh.   
  
-Telepathy-  
  
(Thoughts)  
  
Chapter 9  
  
The next morning the first of Yugi's problems was getting out of bed.   
  
"This is going to take awhile," he said, as he looked this situation. He managed to sit up and get his wheel chair over to him, but getting into it was another matter, especially when he fell off his bed.  
  
"Are you okay?" his grandfather asked as he ran in.  
  
"I've been better," Yugi gasped. Mr. Motuoh helped him back onto his bed. "Just toss me my clothes and I'll call you when I'm done." His grandfather nodded and left him to do so. It took Yugi nearly triple the time it usually took for him to get his clothes on. When he finally finished he called his grandfather.  
  
"Well this had certainly been an eventful morning," Grandpa said as he wheeled Yugi out of his room. Yugi grunted in disapproval. When it came to getting his shoes on the only problem was that Yugi would need two hands. His broken ankle had healed enough to where it didn't need the bulky hard cast, just a thin, stiff brace to keep it from moving a whole lot.   
  
When his grandfather got his shoes on it was about time to go.   
  
"Let me go see if Tea hasn't passed by yet," said Grandpa, "If she has I'll have to take you." Yugi waited for a few minutes before his grandfather returned, and Tea was with him.  
  
"Yes you decided to come today," she said when she saw him.  
  
"If you must know I fell out of bed this morning," Yugi said.  
  
"Ouch," Tea said giggling. She held open the door of the shop so Mr. Motuoh could wheel Yugi out.  
  
"He's all yours," he said when they were out. "Have fun on your first day back."  
  
Yugi mastered the urge to throw his book bag at him and waved as Tea began to push him down the street.  
  
"So besides falling out of bed this morning," Tea said, "How's it feel to be back home?"  
  
"Nice," Yugi replied. "Grandpa and I put the tree up last night not long after you guys left."  
  
"That must have been fun."  
  
"You have no idea," Yugi whispered.  
  
"Hey, wait up!" Tea stopped so Joey and Tristan could catch up.  
  
"My turn," Joey said as he stepped into Tea's place.  
  
"Fine," Tea said, "I just hope you're better at steering this then you are at steering a car."  
  
"Something's telling me I really don't want to know," Yugi mumbled. None of them continued with whatever they were talking about.   
  
They were stopped at a light when they heard Bakura call them from behind. "Wait up!"  
  
"I thought we'd have to meet you at school," Tea said as she turned around.  
  
"No way," Bakura said as he ran up. "So you decided to come back to school right away."  
  
"I didn't see the point of staying at home," Yugi said as they crossed the street.  
  
"You should see this collage Yug," Joey said as they stepped onto the sidewalk. "It's huge."  
  
"Aren't most collages?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Some are actually pretty small," Bakura said as they continued down the street.  
  
"Yeah, you'd know wouldn't you," Joey said, "You've been searching for collages ever since that list came out."  
  
"Better than what you've been doing Joey," Tea said.   
  
"I'm workin' on it," Joey retorted.  
  
"Stop fighting," Tristan interrupted. "The last thing Yugi needs is a headache."   
  
"I agree," Yugi said. His whole body ached from his fall this morning, and his still injured limps throbbed. It wasn't a bad throb, but it wasn't a pleasant thing to have to endure constantly, and painkillers weren't long lasting.   
  
"Here it is," Tristan said, knocking Yugi out of his trance.   
  
"They only way to tell the high school seniors from the collage students are the uniforms," Joey said, "That's the only reason why we still have these things."  
  
"I hope one of you doesn't mind taking me to whatever office the high school staff uses," Yugi said, "I need to get all kinds of things sorted out."   
  
"I'll take ya," Joey said, "I don't need to go to my locker." They waved and Joey steered him to another building not far from where their classes were. "So what do you need to do?"  
  
"What else, get my locker and my absence slip, I wasn't checked out of the school so I need to get my time excused."  
  
"I find that stupid," Joey said as they went up the ramp, Yugi tried to ignore the stares of people around him. "They'll get over it," Joey said when he noticed that Yugi had gone slightly ridged with embarrassment.   
  
"I hope so," Yugi muttered as they went inside. Joey walked him into an office with the high school office staff in it and sat down until Yugi was finished. When the staff member gave Yugi his locker and combination Joey got up and wheeled him out of the building.  
  
"So where's your locker?" Joey asked.  
  
"One-four-three-seven," Yugi answered. "Third floor."  
  
"Hey that's right next to mine."  
  
"Good news for me," Yugi said as they entered another building. "Good thing they put ramps in the buildings, and they have staff guardin' them to make sure only those who don't use them can't use them."  
  
"So I guess that means you can't go up them," Yugi teased.  
  
"Then I'll leave you down here," Joey retorted laughing. They went up the ramp and then up another, then they went down a hall to find Yugi's locker.   
  
"I got a bottom locker luckily," Yugi said as he tried the combination, then grinned when it opened.  
  
"Toss that duffel bag in and we'll head for homeroom," Joey said as the first bell rang. "It's all they down stairs and on the other side of the building, but we have an excuse if we're late."  
  
"Only because I'm with you," Yugi said as he shut his locker.   
  
"Exactly," Joey said grinning as they headed down the now packed hallway and down the ramps.  
  
Author's Note: Okay, so it's a little dumb, but it's short. I know I should be in hell week for marching band, but my dad gave me his cold, though I don't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing. 


	10. Chapter 10

Dragonwhisperer: Hey, it's me, your nutty author.   
  
Tea: I don't think you're nuts.  
  
Dragonwhisperer: Thank you.  
  
Bakura: Aren't you supposed to be doing the disclaimer?  
  
Dragonwhisperer: *Thinking * Yeah, but I don't want to. They know what I mean anyway.   
  
Tea and Bakura: Whatever.  
  
Dragonwhisperer: You hopefully know by now how thoughts and telepathy work.   
  
Chapter 10  
  
"Whew!" Joey said as they reached the classroom, "I thought the walk was long before you came."  
  
"Sorry," Yugi said as Joey knocked.   
  
"Ready or not here we go," Joey said as a giggling Tea opened the door. "What's so funny?"  
  
"Nothing," Tea said giggling. Joey cocked an eyebrow and peeked into the classroom. "Oh boy, Yugi you're not gonna like this."   
  
"Oh no," Yugi groaned as Joey pushed him inside, but it wasn't what he was expecting.  
  
When they went inside the entire class seemed to glare at them for being late. Yugi noticed that Bakura and Tristan were staring out the window with odd expressions on their faces.  
  
"You're late boys," Mr. Kolin, the homeroom teacher said in a rather annoyed voice. Joey cleared his throat and proceeded to his and Yugi's desks. When Joey sat down Mr. Kolin said, "Lets see," he looked at his role sheet and tapped it with his pencil, thinking. "Well," he said as his voice changed from annoyance the acceptance, "I guess I can do nothing except say, welcome back Yugi!"  
  
That seemed to be a cue because the whole classroom burst into applause. "Fooled you didn't we?" Tea asked.  
  
"Very much so," Yugi said as he blushed a beet red and wished he could sink into the floor and disappear.   
  
"All right class," Mr. Kolin said. "You have the period free to do what you want."  
  
"So you didn't like that do you?" Tristan asked.  
  
"Not at all," Yugi mumbled.   
  
"Come on lighten up," Joey said, "from the looks of it the whole class wants to know what happened."  
  
Yugi had regained the memories of what had happened that nightmare of a day, and he didn't like any of them, much less recalling them. "Do I have to?"  
  
"No," Mr. Kolin said as he walked. "Not until you feel like it."  
  
"Then that'll be a never," Tea said as she watched relief spread over her friend's face.  
  
***  
  
Homeroom always seemed short, but it felt even shorter today and before he knew it the bell rang for the next class.  
  
"Lets see what this next class does," Yugi said.  
  
"Yeah well you'll get to watch them as they walk in," Joey said as they entered the classroom, "I'm always the first one here."  
  
"Now that's something I though I'd never see," Yugi said.   
  
"So you're finally back Yugi," said Ms. Kaleen, "I guess those rumors are true."  
  
"Lovely, just what I need," Yugi grumbled, "rumors being spread about me."  
  
He watched as the class began to fill, not missing any of the faces the other students made. Math was something Yugi just seemed to keep in his head, so he didn't need to take notes, but in his next class, biology, he wished he had broken his left shoulder instead of his right one. Biology was his worst subject, and no matter how much he studied he just couldn't keep it in his head.   
  
"I'm going have to get a copy of Tea's notes," Yugi moaned at the end of class. "I can't write at all right now and I need all the information I can to pass this class."  
  
"Maybe Bakura should tutor ya," Joey suggested, "he aces this type 'a stuff."  
  
"Maybe," Yugi said as they left the building for their break.  
  
"So how was it?" Tea asked.  
  
"It wasn't too bad," Joey said as he sat down on the bench. "I like the set up here, benches so ya don't have to sit on the ground." The break was a short as normal and class resumed until lunch, which was also pretty normal. Finally, and to Yugi's relief, school ended and they were able to go home, and with not much homework either.  
  
"So how was it?" Grandpa asked when they entered the shop.  
  
"Not too bad," Yugi said.  
  
"Yeah, you should have seen everyone during math class," Joey said. "No one was expectin' him when we walked in, it was a priceless moment when they all jumped."  
  
"That's good to hear," Mr. Motuoh said. "Are you guys going to do your homework?"  
  
"Yep," Tea said.   
  
"If any of you need to use the phone go right a head, but don't be long." They nodded and went into the house.  
  
"So, what should we do first?" Tea asked.  
  
"English," Joey said, "we all seem to be doin' okay in that without needin' any help." They ground through there homework until it was finished, during which Bakura firmly stated that Yugi was a hopeless cause in biology and gave everyone a good laugh, even Yugi.  
  
"See you tomorrow morning Yugi," Tea said as they left. Yugi's grandfather quickly took Yugi to his room so he wouldn't leave any customers waiting.  
  
"Today seemed to go pretty well for you," Yami said as he appeared.  
  
"I know," Yugi said as he flexed his right hand, it kept it from swelling because of not being used. "Something's telling me though that tomorrow isn't going to be very good."  
  
"Well we'll find out won't we," Yami said.   
  
"That's what I'm afraid of," Yugi mumbled. H e was exhausted and wanted to go to sleep. He wasn't used to the long days after lying in the hospital for endless hours.   
  
"You look like you had P. E. all day," Yami said, chuckling a bit.  
  
"Ah be quiet," Yugi muttered, he didn't like snapping at him at the moment.   
  
"Are you doing all right Yugi?" Grandpa asked as he opened the door, Yami vanished in an eye blink.  
  
"Yeah, I just want to go to bed."  
  
Mr. Motuoh nodded and helped him out of his wheel chair. "Have a nice nap," he said as he closed the door, but Yugi was already asleep.  
  
***  
  
Dragonwhisperer: Okay, so another dumb one.  
  
Yugi: At least my school doesn't think I'm dead anymore.  
  
Dragonwhisperer: I guess that's true. 


	11. Chapter 11

Dragonwhisperer: This chapter should be longer.  
  
Yugi: I don't think I like this one very much.  
  
Dragonwhisperer: You'll be fine.  
  
Yami: Looks rather painful.  
  
Dragonwhisperer: *Glares at Yami * you're going to ruin it.  
  
Yami: Sorry. In case you reader forgot, -Telepathy- and (Thoughts).   
  
Chapter 11  
  
The next day wasn't too bad. They weren't late to homeroom or to any of his class before lunch, but that's when it got bad.  
  
"I can't believe they're having a pep rally over there," Tea said, "They don't even have the cheer squad out."  
  
"Want to go over and have a look?" Tristan asked.   
  
"But what about Yug?" Joey asked.  
  
"Go 'head," Yugi said, "I'll be fine."  
  
"Yeah, collage students don't like the juniors and seniors picking on people," Tea said, "so we don't have to worry about it."  
  
"We won't be long though," Joey said as they headed over the pep rally. Then Yugi realized to late that the seniors weren't out yet. The bell schedule was extremely complicated, it was for the whole day, but at lunch two bells rang, one for the high school students, and then one for the collage that rang a few minutes after theirs, the thing was that the collage bell hadn't rung yet, so Yugi was an easy target.  
  
"Well looky here, the shrimp's back from the hospital." Yugi looked up to see another senior and his friends coming over. The leader was the biggest senior in the entire year class, which meant he could pick on whomever he wanted, including other seniors, and he had his eyes on Yugi.  
  
(I'm in trouble), Yugi thought to himself.  
  
"You thought I wouldn't come after you didn't you," the senior said. The guy's name was Darin, whether he was friend or foe everyone knew his name. "Now there's something I don't get. If you could survive an explosion and walk to the nearest hospital, I don't see why you can't stand up now. Stand up."  
  
Yugi didn't say anything, he knew from experience to keep his mouth shut, or else you wouldn't be opening your mouth for a while.   
  
"You heard me," Darin said, "stand up." He turned to his cronies, "Help him up boys." They came forward fast, and before Yugi knew it he was being painfully yanked up. The pain was so intense that his eyes watered and burned. "Good, now stand on your own." The boys let him go and he crumpled to the ground. "Help him up boys, maybe he didn't hear me." They obeyed and Yugi was forced to his feet once more, but this time they held him up.  
  
"I don't think you understand what you're in," Darin said. He cuffed Yugi's right shoulder, hard. "Ouch, what is that some sort of cast?"  
  
Yugi knew he could answer this one without getting punished. "Yes," he gasped, "It's the hard shell kind."  
  
"Good boy, you knew when it was polite to answer." Darin laughed evilly and kicked Yugi's left ankle lightly, sending bolts of pain up Yugi's leg.  
  
(Why hasn't that bell rung yet?) Yugi wondered. Suddenly the bell did ring, but Darin didn't seem to notice it.  
  
"You've had I long vacation," he said, "to bad it wasn't permanent." He seemed to be biding his time; Yugi knew help was on its way.   
  
Only a few yards away were Joey and the others. Joey turned to see how Yugi was doing, then saw the situation. "Big problem."  
  
"What?" Tea said as she and the others looked in that direction. They looked just in time to see Darin slam his fist into Yugi's chest. "No Yugi!"  
  
Yugi's mouth filled with blood. Yugi spat it out and Darin watched it hit the ground, he wasn't expecting that. He noticed a crowed was beginning to form around them. "Good," he said, "they can watch as I put you out of your misery." He raised his fist, but as he brought it back it was stopped suddenly. "What the-?"  
  
"I thought we made our meaning clear when we said we didn't approve of beatings and picking on," the collage senior said.  
  
Darin yanked his hand away as his cronies dropped Yugi and ran. As soon as Yugi hit the ground he felt himself being lifted up again, but this time it was slower and much more gentle. He opened his eyes a crack to see Bakura and Tea, he realized it was Joey and Tristan who were getting him back into his wheel chair.  
  
He just wanted to die right there. The pain wasn't as bad when he first got his injuries, but he knew that all of his ribs were cracked and his shoulder and been jarred, but thankfully not enough to cause damage. Everything hurt, but he could only clutch his shoulder and watch as the collage senior gave a piece of his mind to Darin.  
  
When the senior finished he had his friends sit Darin down and watch him to make sure he wouldn't run off, then came over to Yugi. "I think he should go to the hospital."  
  
"I agree," Tea said through tears, she was so afraid.   
  
"No," Yugi gasped, "I just want to go home."  
  
"Maybe that is better," Joey, said, "I mean not much happened while he was at the hospital, and home is where most healing is done."  
  
"You're probably right," the senior said. "I'll take him. My father is in a wheel chair and my van is designed to carry him in it, it's the best way to get him home."  
  
"Thanks," Joey said. "Why don't you go with him Tea, we'll follow some other way. Now how are gonna to get there?" Joey asked Tristan and Bakura.  
  
"I'll take you." Another senior stepped forward, the back of Darin's sweater in his hand. "I want to take this loser over there too so we can get this all sorted out, parents and all."  
  
"Thanks," Tristan said.  
  
"I'll go get the van," said the first senior. "I'd rather not move him anymore then he has to be." He ran off toward the student parking lot and what seemed like no time later a white van drove up.   
  
"Wow," Joey said, "that was fast." As they got Yugi loaded into the van Darin's cronies were caught and brought over.   
  
"Two more for questioning," another collage senior said.  
  
"Bring them too," said the first senior, "In your car if you have to. All right," he said to Tea and Bakura, "get in." They quickly got in the van, Bakura in the front passenger and Tea in the only seat in the back with Yugi. "We'll see you there," the senior said to his friends and drove off.  
  
When they left the parking lot and were on the street Bakura wanted to ask the senior a few questions, but they were answered before he even asked.  
  
"My name is Andrew, Andy for short if you wish. I despise the way bigger people treat those who are smaller and can't defend themselves. When I saw this I just couldn't believe it."  
  
"He's been through so much of this we're used to it," Tea said, "but it was never this bad. I'm Tea by the way."  
  
"Well I know his name is Yugi," Andy said, "and you?" he asked looking at Bakura as they stopped at a light.  
  
"Bakura," he replied.  
  
"Let take a wild guess, that's your last name." Bakura nodded. "My friend is the same way. He doesn't hate his first name it's just hard to say and a little embarrassing." He changed the subject to a more important matter. "Which way is his home?"  
  
"You know that game shop on the corner?" Tea said.  
  
"The green one?" Andy asked.  
  
"Yep."  
  
"I know the guy who runs that."  
  
"That's Yugi's grandfather," Bakura added.   
  
"I thought I saw a resemblance, we'll be there in a few minutes."  
  
"Thank goodness," Tea said as she wiped the blood off of Yugi's mouth and chin so her stomach would settle down.   
  
"How're you doin' Yugi?" Andy asked. Yugi didn't reply, he just groaned softly. "Is he conscious?"  
  
"Hang on," Tea said. She took Yugi's head in her hands. "Yugi stay with us, are you in there now?" Her words didn't even make sense to herself, but Yugi nodded just the same. "He's conscious," she replied.   
  
"Good," Andy said as they turned the corner and stopped outside the game shop. "One of you go inside and warn his grandfather," Andy said as he got out.  
  
Bakura jumped out of the van and ran inside as Andy and Tea undid Yugi's wheel chair from the holders. They were just getting him down the ramp when two cars pulled up behind them.  
  
"Good," said Andy, "this'll make the explanation much easier, if they cooperate."  
  
"If is the big question," Tea said as Mr. Motuoh ran out of the game shop.   
  
"What happened?" he asked, the look of fear in his eyes was unmistakable.  
  
"You'll find out soon enough," Andy answered. "My name is Andy, I go to the collage where Domino High is being held, and that's Eric and that's Danny," he said as two more men around his age came over, both over them holding on to the back of the three bullies' shirts. "They're the reason why your grandson is like this."  
  
"And they have all agreed to call their mommies and daddies over for a little conversation," the man named Danny said.  
  
"Wonderful," said Mr. Motuoh, "I can't wait to hear this story."  
  
"I just remembered something," Eric said, "I'll be right back, just in case these threes' parents don't believe their story, that they believe their sons are sweet little angels." Andy nodded and Eric drove back to the collage.  
  
***  
  
Bakura: Can I hit Darin?  
  
  
Dragonwhisperer: No.   
  
Bakura: Please?  
  
Dragonwhisperer: No!  
  
Joey: Yugi did it for you, with the ice bag.  
  
Dragonwhisperer: While I leave those people to chitchat, what do you guess think so far? Review me and tell me what you think. 


	12. Chapter 12

Joey: Please tell me Darin gets his head beat in?  
  
Dragonwhisperer: No, sorry, but I think you'll be pleased at what Yugi does to him.   
  
Yami: Don't forget the disclaimer.  
  
Dragonwhisperer: Can't I?  
  
Yugioh cast: No!  
  
Dragonwhisperer: Oh fine, I don't own Yugioh; none of those nutty characters are mine.   
  
Whole Cast: Hey!  
  
-Telepathy-  
  
(Thoughts)  
  
Chapter 12  
  
By the time they got Yugi inside Darin and his friends' parents had been called. While they waited for him to arrive Tea and Joey got Yugi out of his wheel chair and onto his bed while Mr. Motuoh, Bakura, and Andy filled bags with ice, and while Tristan and Andy's friends watched over Darin and the others.  
  
"You have a lot of ice in that freezer Mr. Motuoh," Andy said as they walked in Yugi's room.  
  
"I always make extra," Mr. Motuoh, replied, "Yugi was always coming home with black eyes and such." They arranged the ice bags around Yugi's ankle, knee, shoulder, and chest so it would ward off as much swelling as possible.  
  
"I'm getting cold just looking at that," Tea said.  
  
"You want to know how cold it is?" Bakura asked. Tea shrugged with her back to him, so he put his ice cold hands on her face, making her shriek in surprise.  
  
"That wasn't funny," Tea, said as she whipped around and tried to smack Bakura while the others laughed, even Yugi managed a smile.  
  
"They're here," Tristan, said as he poked his head in.   
  
Mr. Motuoh nodded. "Do any of you four want to go back out there with us?"  
  
"I will," Tristan, said, "I've been out there already." Mr. Motuoh and Andy left and went into the living room.  
  
As they expected, the parents believed that their boys were sweet angels and didn't believe a word of what happened, that is until Eric returned.  
  
"What many of you might not know," he said, "is that there are cameras set up all over the campus, some in obvious places and that are easy to see, and in other places where they're used for things like this." He popped a video into the VCR and they watched how the fight unfolded until it ended with Andy pulling up in his van.  
  
"Now do you believe what happened?" Tristan asked Darin's mother and father.  
  
Darin's father glared at his son, "May we see Yugi?"  
  
Tristan exchanged glances with Mr. Motuoh, who nodded, and they went to Yugi's room.  
  
"No farther then the doorway please," Mr. Motuoh said as he opened the door.  
  
Tea whipped around from where she sat on Yugi's bed while Joey and Bakura looked up from where they stood. Tea got up and walked up to Darin and his parents.  
  
"Sir, Ma'am," she said, "please excuse me for what I'm about to do." With that, she slapped Darin across his face with all her strength.  
  
Darin of course, didn't like it. He charged at Tea and flung her backwards, hitting her just under her eye. But before he could take another step, an ice filled bag hit him in the face and exploded.   
  
They all gasped, and looked to see who threw the bag, and were all surprised when they saw whom it was. Yugi was holding himself up and gasping for breath, but looked triumphant.  
  
"You can beat me up all you want," he gasped, "but never, ever; lay a hand on Tea," he gasped. "Ever."  
  
"And he means it," Joey said. "Only when someone does somethin' really stupid does Yugi ever get violent."   
  
Darin's father came forward and grabbed his son by the back of his collar. "Please excuse us for our intrusion," he said, "we'll make sure our son learns better."  
  
"And it won't be through a beating," said Darin's mother. "It'll be through community service and whatever else we want him to do." With that they all left, Darin's friends and their parents right behind them.  
  
"And I thought I'd seen it all," Joey said as he and Bakura helped Tea to her feet.  
  
"My parents are not going to be happy about this," Tea said as she touched her sore cheek, it was just beginning to bruise.  
  
"We should get going," Andy said.  
  
"Thank you for all you have done," Mr. Motuoh said as he held out his hand.  
  
"Don't mention it," Andy said as they shook hands. He and his friends left as Mr. Motuoh got some ice for Tea's face.  
  
"Now I have a tiny fraction of an idea how Yugi feels after he gets beat up at school," Tea said as she took the ice. She looked at Yugi, who was still sitting up. "Lay down." Yugi obeyed, looking slightly guilty.  
  
"That was a good throw Yug," Joey said.  
  
"Well I would think so considering he could already throw a pillow at your head," Tristan teased.  
  
"Yeah but that didn't explode," Tea pointed out. She looked at Yugi's alarm clock to see if school was out yet. "School's been out for ten minutes, what are we gonna do?"  
  
"We could always stay here," Tristan suggested.  
  
"I think Yugi may be getting a little tired of seeing us," Tea said. Yugi gave a one- shouldered shrug. "It also looks like he needs a nap." Yugi rolled his eyes as his friends laughed.  
  
"Yeah," Joey said, "we should go. Feel better man." They waved and left the room.  
  
-That has to have been the worst display of human behavior I have ever seen, - Yami said angrily.  
  
-If it's anything to you I'm trying to sleep, - Yugi grumbled, too tired to speak aloud.  
  
-Sorry, - Yami apologized. -So are you going to be going to school next week? -  
  
-Of course, I'm not a weakling like Darin thinks I am. -  
  
-Just don't over do it. -  
  
***  
  
About three blocks away, Tea and Bakura were standing by the pier again, just watching the water.   
  
"And I thought things couldn't get any worse for Yugi," Tea said.  
  
"We all did," Bakura said, "but I guess we didn't think of this."  
  
"But that was just sick," Tea said angrily, "I can't believe someone would just beat up a helpless person for the fun of it. Every time I looked at Darin, his last words stuck out of my mind, 'I'll put him out of his misery.'"  
  
"Well that's just like assholes like him," Bakura said. Tea giggled, it took a lot to make Bakura swear. "Sorry about that."  
  
"No, it's okay. Next time find a way to say it to his face and not get creamed."  
  
"I'll try," Bakura said as they started walking again.   
  
As they walked down the street that was lined with all kinds of shops, they heard a familiar voice say, "Tea?" They both turned around to see Mai coming toward them.  
  
"What brings you here Mai?" Tea asked.  
  
"No reason, just traveling," the woman answered. "Where's Yugi? He's always with you."  
  
"Yugi can barely sit up at the moment," Tea answered. They told what happened three months ago and exactly what happened that day.  
  
"Poor guy," Mai said when they finished.   
  
"We don't even know if he's going to go back to school next week," Tea said.  
  
"Well that's for him to decide," Mai pointed out. "Hey, maybe this weekend you guys can persuade him out of the house and we can visit at the park or something."  
  
"That might be a pretty good idea," Tea said. "But what if he doesn't want to go?"  
  
"Here," Mai said as she opened her purse. "Take my cell phone number. Talk to Yugi tomorrow about it. If he wants to do it, call me and we'll do it on Sunday, if not call me any way to let me know it's not happening." She scribbled on a piece of paper and handed it to Tea, then eyed both her and Bakura. "So what are you doin' together any way."  
  
"I think we can answer that," Joey said as he and Tristan popped up next to the table they were sitting at.  
  
"Answer with what?" Mai asked. Tristan held up his video camera case, and then took a step away from the table just in case Tea or Bakura decided to pounce. "What does a camera have anything to do with this?"  
  
"We'll see you later Mai," Tea said as she and Bakura got up. They both glared at Tristan and Joey as they headed down the street.  
  
"What did you two do?" Mai asked as Tristan got out the video camera.   
  
"See for your own self," Joey said as Tristan turned the camera on. Mai watched the whole thing and laughed when it was over.  
  
"It is funny boys," she admitted, "but it wasn't a very nice thing to do."  
  
"We know," Joey replied, "but it gave Yugi a laugh while he was in the hospital."  
  
"That's probably the only good thing about it, though it did answer my question on why they were together."  
  
"They didn't speak to us for a week and half after it," Tristan said as he put the camera away.  
  
"Good," Mai said with a smile. She picked up her purse and stood up, "Well, maybe I'll see you on Sunday boys, see you."  
  
Joey: Please tell me we got Yugi throwing that ice bag on tape?  
  
Tristan: Sorry Joey.  
  
Joey: Ah man.   
  
Dragonwhisperer: Well, not that Mai is in the picture, you'll be sure there's going to be some definite flirting going on. Review me and tell me what you think please. 


	13. Chapter 13

Dragonwhisperer: Hello, it's me again.   
  
Tea: Can I hurt you?  
  
  
Dragonwhisperer: Why?  
  
Tea: You know exactly why.  
  
Dragonwhisperer: Relax, Mai's just being a flirt, you know that.  
  
Yugi: She still tries to flirt with me.   
  
Bakura: Well, it doesn't seem as though Dragonwhisperer is going to be doing the disclaimer, but you should all know that she doesn't own Yugioh. Reminder, -Telepathy- and (Thoughts).   
  
Chapter 13  
  
Tea went over to Yugi's the next day. "So do you think you can come out tomorrow?" she asked. "We have a surprise for you."  
  
"Oh boy," Yugi mumbled. They were both sitting on the couch in the living room; Yugi had been flipping through channels before Tea had come over.  
  
"Come on, I'm sure you'll have a good time," Tea said.  
  
"Are you just trying to get me out of the house again?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Yes and no. Come on it'll be fun, and we're just going to the park."  
  
"What kind of a surprise is that?"  
  
"You'll see tomorrow, that is if you go."  
  
Yugi thought for a moment, "All right, I'll trust you. You haven't steered me wrong yet."  
  
"Well that's good to hear," Tea said smiling. She left a short time later and called Mai to tell her it was happening.   
  
***  
  
The next day Tea went over to Yugi's at around ten. When she got there Yugi was just about ready, though he didn't look to be in a good mood.  
  
"He fell out of bed again this morning," Mr. Motuoh said as he wheeled Yugi out the front door of the shop.  
  
"Well lighten up Yugi," Tea said as she took over the chair. "Because today you can't be a grump." Yugi rolled his eyes as they headed off down the street. They met up with a few blocks down, and Joey two blocks later.  
  
"Where's Bakura?" Joey asked.  
  
"I don't know," Tea said, "He said he was going to be here, maybe his mom had to go out for a little while and he had to stay and watch his sister. They all shrugged and headed for the park.  
  
"Almost there Yug," Joey said as they crossed the street. They got to the park and went to the area where they were supposed to meet Mai, but she wasn't there yet.  
  
"It figures," Tea, said when they stopped.   
  
"It figures what?" Yugi asked.  
  
"You'll see," was Tea's only answer. They for a few minutes until Mai finally showed up.  
  
"Goodness this park is bigger than it looks," she said when she came into view.  
  
"Mai?" Yugi asked dumbfounded.  
  
"In the flesh," she replied when she approached. "You really did get dinged up pretty good there didn't you?" Yugi groaned. Yesterday he and his grandfather had gone back to the hospital and got a brace that he could wear until his ribs were healed.  
  
"Well?" Tea asked.  
  
"You certainly surprised me," Yugi said.   
  
"Well I would think so, considering we haven't seen her since Battle City."  
  
"And that was how many years ago?" Joey asked.  
  
"Three," Mai answered. "And to think Yugi got hurt doing something he enjoyed doing."  
  
"Oh well," Yugi said plainly.   
  
"What's the mater Yugi?" Mai asked. "Normally you're always up to talking."  
  
"I think falling out of bed this morning would change anyone's mood," Tea said.  
  
"You weren't supposed to say that!" Yugi yelled and he wrenched around to try and grab her.  
  
"Stop it," Tea said smiling as she grabbed his hand. "I expect that hurts to do that too, doesn't it?" Yugi grumbled as he turned back around, wincing as he did. "So what do we want to do?"  
  
"Why not try and lighten Yugi's mood a bit?" Mai suggested.   
  
"Good luck," Joey said.  
  
"I'll try this first," Mai said as she bent down to Yugi's level, and then kissed him on the cheek.   
  
Yugi instantly snapped out of his mood and turned a bright pink. "What was that for?" he asked.  
  
"Because it looked like you needed one." Mai answered. "Plus you're just so cute I couldn't resist." This time Yugi was bright red. "Though I must say," Mai continued, "that Bakura boy isn't to bad either."   
  
"Don't you even think about it!" Tea yelled. "He's already taken."  
  
"I know," Mai said, "but who says I can't charm him my way?"   
  
Tea growled a bit, and then ran at the older woman. Yugi made sure that the brake on his wheelchair was set, then grabbed Tea's arm before she could reach Mai.  
  
"What's going on?" Bakura asked as he walked up.  
  
"Mai's tryin' to steal you away from Tea," Joey answered.  
  
"Is she then?" Bakura asked as he walked toward the squalling women. "Sorry Mai," he said as he wrapped one arm around Tea's shoulders, "but like Tea said, I'm already taken."  
  
Mai pouted, "Well at least I can say I tried."  
  
"Trying was a waste of time," Tea said as she stuck her tongue out at her.  
  
"Well while you three chit chat," Tristan said as he took the wheelchair handles, we're moving into the shade. "It's sunny out even though it's winter." They two girls followed them as Bakura brought up the rear. They sat there under the tree for a while, just talking about past events, and not Yugi's accident.  
  
Yugi ignored it all and stared out into space most of the time, that is until Mai popped up next to him and surprised him. "Why so down?" she asked.  
  
"He's probably bored," Tea answered.  
  
"I think he answer for himself," Mai said. "Is she right?" Yugi nodded. "Well, that can be fixed. Lets see, what to do when your friend is in a wheelchair?" She would have thought more, but then the others started glaring at a young man that was passing by. "What's up?"  
  
"That's Darin," Joey said as he and the others stood up. They couldn't do anything because they noticed that his parents were with him. He seemed to have a younger sister, but she wasn't much younger than him and looked perfectly capable of taking care of her self. When they settled nearby his mother said something to him, and then to everyone's dismay, he walked over.  
  
"Need something?" Tea asked.  
  
"Not really," Darin answered.  
  
"Then what're you doing here?" Joey asked.   
  
"My mother told me to come over and apologize for what I did," Darin answered.  
  
"Yug?" Joey said as he looked at Yugi. Yugi shrugged, even if he could only use one shoulder, and Darin came forward a bit. He gave his plain apology, and Yugi being Yugi, accepted it. Darin didn't leave when he was finished, only asked, "Who's that?" He gestured the question towards Mai.  
  
"A friend we met on the way to Duelist Kingdom," Yugi answered.   
  
"Duelist Kingdom?" Darin asked, "Wasn't that where Maximillion Pegasus was beaten for the first and only time?"  
  
"Yep," Tea answered, "and Yugi was the one who beat him."   
  
"Him?" Darin asked, "You're joking."  
  
"No way," Joey replied, "he beat me, I was second place in that tournament."  
  
"Prove it," Darin said, "I'll duel him right now."   
  
"You're joking right?" Joey asked, "How can you expect him to hold up his cards and put them into play when he has only one hand?"   
  
"Both of my hands work Joey," Yugi interrupted. Joey looked at his friend. "My arm and shoulder may be immobile, but my hand does work. I can hold my cards in that hand and play them with my left."  
  
"But we still need a table," Tristan pointed out. "I mean we can't use the nearest rock or the ground when you're sittin' in that thing."  
  
"My parents brought a folding card table," Darin interrupted, "we can use that."   
  
"Then lets duel," Yugi said, the familiar glint in his eyes that he got every time he dueled had returned.   
  
"He's dog food," Joey said, and he wasn't the only one who noticed that the glint had returned. "Good luck Darin," Joey said. "No one can beat the King of Games, especially in this game."  
  
Darin almost looked like he regretted challenging him, but then said, "Fine, lets duel."  
  
***  
  
Joey: Ye-haw, a duel, finally!  
  
Tea: I can't wait to see how this one turns out.  
  
Dragonwhisperer: I can assure you, and good duel is about to happen, so keep reading. Reviews are wanted, please. 


	14. Chapter 14

Dragonwhisperer: I have a problem.  
  
Tristan: What's up?  
  
Dragonwhisperer: I'm running out of chapters, and I have a total mind blank.  
  
Joey: Well stop working on Yu Yu Hakusho and start working on this.   
  
Dragonwhisperer: Hey, I'm getting good reviews on Young Immortal, leave me alone.  
  
Yugi: Dragonwhisperer, are you going to do the disclaimer or are you just going to make them figure it out while you rack your brain for brainstorms?  
  
Dragonwhisperer: Yes, I need help. I only have three and a half more chapters left. I need a major brainstorm if these readers want to keep reading.  
  
Tea: *Sigh * Well, while Dragonwhisperer is banging her head against a wall, just as a reminder, -Telepathy- and (Thoughts)  
  
Chapter 14  
  
The duel started like any normal duel, except that Yugi's deck was on the left side of his field instead if in the right.   
  
"You go first," Darin said.  
  
"All right then." Yugi looked at hand and found his weakest card, but it wasn't the weakest card in his deck. "I play Sliver Fang in attack mode."  
  
"Is that the best you can do?" Darin asked. He also played his card in attack mode, "I play the Rogue Doll, and I attack your Silver Fang."  
  
-Good card, - Yami spoke up. -But you've got better ones. -   
  
-We have better ones. - Yugi corrected him as he played another card. "I play the Stone Soldier in defense mode," Yugi said as he laid the card out, "and I also play this card face down." Yami grinned as Yugi put down the Mirror Force trap card. He knew that Yugi wouldn't use it now, but he had it out for later.   
  
"You're going on the defensive?" Darin asked. "What kind of King of Games are you?"  
  
"A smart one Yugi answered.  
  
"Oh well," Darin said as he played a new card, "I play Juiri Gumo in attack mode, and I attack your Stone Soldier."  
  
"Fine by me." Yugi drew his next card. "Now it's time for you to on to the defensive. I play Gaia the Fierce Knight, in attack mode, and I attack your over grown spider."  
  
Darin looked at him in shock; he hadn't expected that card coming, nor would he be expecting any of the other cards Yugi put into play next. He switched his Rogue Doll into defense mode and played another card face down in the same position.  
  
"Now who's on the defensive?" Yugi asked as he drew a card. "I play Curse of Dragon, and I'll use my fusion card to combine it and my knight to create, Gaia the Dragon Champion." He didn't want to take any risks in attacking face down monster, so he took out his Rogue Doll.   
  
"How'm I supposed to beat that?" Darin asked. He played another card face down in defense mode and ended his turn.  
  
Yugi played his Celtic Guardian and used that and his Dragon Champion to take out both of Darin's face down cards.  
  
"Well," Darin said. "Now that you've played that Celtic Guardian, I can play my Mystic Clown in attack mode and take it." He did the exact thing, but left his clown unprotected.  
  
"You may have taken out my Celtic Guardian," Yugi said, "but you left it unprotected, making it an easy target for my Dragon Champion." He attacked the clown, bringing Darin's life points down to seven hundred, while he still had sixteen hundred. "Now who's in the lead?"   
  
Darin was shaking with rage, but when he drew a card, he relaxed. "I play Barrel Dragon in attack mode, and I also use Machine Conversation to power him up two hundred points, making it so I can attack your Dragon Champion." He attacked and took out Yugi's Champion, but Yugi wasn't worried, whatever he played next would make sure his Dragon was destroyed.  
  
He drew a card, and listened at Yami cheered in the back of his mind. "I play the Dark Magician in defense mode."  
  
"I guess that's all you can do with my unbeatable dragon the field," Darin said with a grin. His sister had come over during the match and looked very pleased with her brother. "I will now attack your Magician."  
  
"Wrong," Yugi said as he flipped over his Mirror Force trap card. "You forgot I laid this card down near the beginning of the duel, and now your Dragon is the one going to the Graveyard."   
  
Darin seemed to fall behind in the duel now, he played all of his cards in defense mode, but Yugi took them all out. Only did Yugi actually lose some life points was when Darin used Brain Control on his Dark Magician and attacked a card Yugi had put on the field for the fun of it.  
  
"That was something I wasn't expecting," Yugi said as he drew a card. Again Darin had played a monster in attack mode unprotected, and it would cost him the duel. "I play the Book of Secret Arts to power up my Magician, making him three hundred points stronger, and I'll have him attack your Giltia the Knight, taking out the last of your life points."   
  
Darin slouched in his chair in and began to collect all of his cards up. "That was humiliating."  
  
"How so?" Yugi asked.  
  
"I hardly ever lose a game," Darin said as he put his deck in his pocket.  
  
"I don't think you've been up against someone as experienced as Yugi," Tea said. Darin and his sister folded up the table without a word and went back to their parents.   
  
"Whew," Joey said, "I thought he would've jumped over the table and strangled Yugi."  
  
"He probably didn't because his parents are here," Bakura said.  
  
"Who cares what Darin did or didn't do," Tea said, "Yugi won the duel."  
  
"Yeah," Joey said, "it seems like your back to normal now Yug."   
  
"If I were back to normal I'd be standing on my own two feet and not sitting in this thing," Yugi said.  
  
"Well at least this time the field didn't blow up on you," Tristan said.  
  
"Don't remind me," Yugi groaned.   
  
The wind blew and Bakura looked up at the sky, "Clouds are coming in, we should get Yugi back before it starts to rain."   
  
"Yeah," Joey said, "and I don't want to get wet either."  
  
"Who would?" Mai asked as they headed out of the park. As soon as they entered the game shop it started to pour.  
  
"Just in time," Mai said,  
  
"And not a moment to soon," Grandpa said as a burst of thunder sounded from the sky.  
  
"We're not going anywhere for a while," Joey said.   
  
"And who might this be?" Grandpa asked as he walked over, eyes on Mai.  
  
"I'm Mai Valentine," Mai answered as she shook Grandpa's hand. "Yugi's told me all about you."  
  
"And Yugi has told me all about you," Grandpa said with a smile. They were about to say something more, but then the thunder crashed so loud over the shop it sounded like an explosion, then the lights went out.  
  
"Well this is good," Joey said.   
  
"I have some flashlights back here somewhere," Grandpa said as he felt and rummaged around the back of the counter.   
  
"Let me help you Gramps," Joey said as he walked forward, but he had forgotten that he was on the other side of Yugi's wheelchair, and when he took one step to many he trip right over it and Yugi.  
  
"Joey!" Yugi hissed in pain.  
  
"Sorry," Joey said as he sat up and rubbed his head.   
  
"What happened?" Grandpa asked.  
  
"Joey tripped over Yugi and the wheelchair," Tea answered.  
  
"Ouch," Grandpa said as he continued to look for the flashlights. "I can't find them, it's too dark."  
  
"That's not good," Tristan said. Then a bolt of lighting crashed to the ground outside the shop, making the whole place shake like there was an earthquake going on. Things thudded and crashed around them. The noise only stopped when the shop stopped shaking.  
  
"That wasn't good," Joey said.  
  
"Is everyone all right?" Bakura asked.  
  
"Yugi?" Tea asked.  
  
"I'm fine," Yugi answered, but it sounded like a strained whisper.   
  
"If only I could find those flashlights," Grandpa said as he began to rummage around again.  
  
"I can't even see my hand in front of me face," Tea said, but then she could. She looked down to see Yugi's Millennium Puzzle glowing just enough to see where you were going.  
  
"All right Yugi," Joey said as went over to Grandpa so he could help. "Found one, all right Yug, shut it down." The light went out automatically and Joey turned the flashlight on so Grandpa could see where the rest of the lights were. They found three more handheld ones and two battery powered lamps.   
  
Grandpa turned on both of the lamps and they all looked at the damage. "Can't do anything until tomorrow morning," he said.   
  
"Did the wind blow the door open?" Tea asked as she felt the wind against her.  
  
Joey pointed a flashlight beam toward the door; all the glass had been shattered. "Whoa."  
  
"I can't just leave it like that," Grandpa said. "Joey or Tristan, could you come with me please?" Joey followed him into the house, leaving the others in the shop.  
  
"Are you okay Yugi?" Tea asked as she stooped down to his level. Tristan had a flashlight and turned it on so everyone could see. Yugi didn't look too good. He was pale and breathing hard, obviously still in pain from when Joey tripped over him.   
  
"You never seem to catch a break do you?" Mai asked. Joey and Grandpa came back in, Joey was carrying a tarp and Grandpa had some nails and a hammer.   
  
Being careful of the glass, he and Joey nailed the tarp to the door so the wind and rain couldn't get in.   
  
"There," Grandpa said. "Now lets go inside." They all followed him into the house. He had already set up more lamps in the living room so they could see when they walked in.   
  
"Man, every day somethin' screwy happens," Joey, said as the sat down.   
  
"More now since I came home," Yugi said softly.   
  
"So what did you guys do at the park?" Grandpa asked, trying to lighten everyone's mood.  
  
"Well, first Mai got Yugi out of his morning mood," Tea said.  
  
"Yeah," Joey said sniggering, "then she tried to steal your boyfriend."   
  
"Shut up Joey," Tea snapped as Bakura rolled his eyes.   
  
"Yugi beat Darin in a duel," Tristan said.  
  
"You mean that boy that nearly killed Yugi at school?" Grandpa asked.  
  
"Yep," Tea said. "It was really good, Yugi looked like he was toying with him the whole time, but Darin didn't even realized it, even after the duel was over."  
  
"Yeah, Yugi really showed him," Joey said. "Though I thought that when he played that Barrel Dragon Yugi was toast, but then I remembered the trap card he set."  
  
"Let me guess," Grandpa said, "Mirror Force?"  
  
"Yes," Yugi answered.  
  
"I know my deck," Grandpa said.   
  
"I hope this rain stops soon," Tea said. "Or at least the power comes back on."  
  
"We'll have to wait for that answer," Tristan said as he looked out the window. 


	15. Chapter 15

Dragonwhisperer: *Sitting in a corner thinking. *  
  
Yugi: Uh, I think we may have a little problem.  
  
Tea: *Walks over to Dragonwhisperer * Are you okay?  
  
Dragonwhisperer: *Shakes her head. * No, no ideas, no brainstorms.  
  
Yugi: While Dragonwhisperer is still racking her brain, I do believe you know what's in a disclaimer, so I won't even say it.  
  
Tea: Again as a reminder, -Telepathy-, and (Thoughts)  
  
Chapter 15  
  
The rain finally let up enough to where the others would have enough time to get home.  
  
"Well," Grandpa said, "was today better than earlier this week?"  
  
"Yes," Yugi answered.  
  
"Well, are you going to go to school tomorrow?"  
  
"Yes, I don't want to have work on anymore homework over the break then I have to."  
  
"What ever you say." He looked at the clock, "Hmm, only half past five, talk about a slow day.  
  
"Yeah, a slow day without power."   
  
"Oh well," Grandpa said shrugging. "So what do you want to do?"  
  
"I don't know; I'm really not the person to ask that."  
  
Grandpa thought for a moment, and then snapped his fingers. "I know; why don't we have ourselves a little duel."  
  
"Huh?" As far as Yugi knew, he was using his grandfather's deck, with a few changes in it.  
  
"What, you think I didn't reconstruct another unbeatable deck?" Grandpa asked.  
  
"Well I didn't know," Yugi said. "Why not, it'll pass the time and see who needs more training."  
  
"Something's telling me I made a big mistake," Grandpa said as he set up the card table.   
  
"I don't," Yugi said as he shuffled his deck one handed, which wasn't easy, "we'll see." They drew their hands and looked at them carefully before making any moves.   
  
"I'll go first," Grandpa said. "I'll lay this card face down," he put a card in the trap and magic card section, "and a monster face down in defensive mode."  
  
Yugi looked at the move his grandfather had made, then back at his hand. (Let's see,) Yugi thought to himself, (If I'm not mistaken, that's probably a trap card that he laid down, but even if it wasn't the monster card he had face down will probably have an effect, and he'll activate that effect as soon as I attack.)  
  
"I'll also play a card face down, and I play Beta the Magnet Warrior in attack mode, but I will not attack."  
  
"Hmm," Grandpa said, "I believe I have taught you too well my grandson." Yugi smiled. "Now I flip my face down card up to attack mode." The card was the Flame Swordsman. "But I also, will not attack."  
  
Yugi looked at his hand, and then drew a card. (We can't just keep the game going like this all the way through, let's see. If I know my grandpa, that's a trap card for certain. I don't have any cards in my hand that'll allow me to disarm that card yet, but when I do I'll take it out.) "I'll switch Beta to defensive mode, and play the Stone Solider in defense mode as well."   
  
"Hmm, well, we can't play defensive this whole duel, so," he attacked the Beta the Magnet Warrior, removing it from the field. (He didn't activate the trap cards he has on the field, I wonder?)  
  
Yugi smiled, "My turn." He drew a card, and smiled again, "I play Remove Trap, removing any trap card my opponent has on the field."  
  
Grandpa grumbled and flipped over a Mirror Force card. "You were smart not to attack, this could have caused you some serious damage."  
  
"I know," Yugi as he played a monster card. "Curse of Dragon, attack the Flame Swordsman."  
  
"Yugi we're not in an arena," Grandpa reminded him.   
  
-You can make it kind of like an arena, - Yami put in. -Remember? - Yugi smiled.  
  
"I can make it," Yugi replied, "That is, if you want me to."  
  
Grandpa stared at him for a moment. "Well, just as long as it doesn't take a whole lot out of you."  
  
Yugi nodded, smiling, and closed his eyes. Less then a minute later the cards on front of them, or at least in front of Yugi, glowed, and the monsters appeared above their cards.   
  
"Amazing," Grandpa said as his eyes widened and he bent to a closer look at the miniature monsters in front of him.   
  
"Are you going to stare at them the whole time?" Yugi asked, "Or are you going to move?"  
  
"You young people today," Grandpa said as he drew a card. "No patience." Yugi glared at him. "Did I just say no patience?" Yugi nodded, "Okay, then some young people have no patience." Yugi nodded and Grandpa made his move. "I play Big Shield Guardian in defense mode."  
  
"Hmm," Yugi looked at the card. (That card's defense is some of the highest in the game. It's going to be tough to take it out, but I'll find a way.) He drew his next card. "I play the Dark Magician, in attack mode." The monster appeared on the field. "And I'll use the Book of Secret Arts to power him up, making his attack strength higher then your defense." He took out his Shield Guardian, and then used the Curse of Dragon to take out the rest of his life points.  
  
"My, my," Grandpa said, "I didn't expect you to beat me."  
  
"Why not?" Yugi asked, "You did teach me everything."  
  
"That's true, and I guess it was only a matter of time before it happened." He sighed and as the lights came on. "Ah, perfect."  
  
"Yeah," Yugi said as he put his deck back in his pocket. Grandpa took him to his room and went back to the shop to clean it up a bit.  
  
"That was a good duel," Yami said. "But the one you had with Darin was better."  
  
"I would think so," Yugi said. Using only his left arm, he hoisted himself out of his chair and onto his bed.  
  
"That wasn't smart Yugi," Yami said.  
  
"Hey, I got out of it and didn't fall."  
  
"There's a first," Yami mumbled.   
  
Yugi situated his pillows and leaned back into them with a groan. "I feel like an old man."  
  
"Wait until you're completely healed," Yami said, "Then in cold times you'll really feel like an old man."  
  
"Shut up," Yugi grumbled as he rotated his right wrist to keep it stimulated. "I can't wait to get this cast off, or at least up to where I can move my lower arm."  
  
"That is probably going to take a while."  
  
"Don't remind me," Yugi grumbled.   
  
"I wonder if your parents know about this?"  
  
"Don't remind me of that either."   
  
Just then there came a knock on his door. Yami vanished as it opened. "Yugi," said Grandpa, "You're parents are going to be coming down to see you next weekend."  
  
"Lovely," Yugi replied with groan as he cracked his left wrist. "You know, I'm surprised they didn't come down when I first got hurt."  
  
"Um," Grandpa mumbled. "I just told them."  
  
Yugi shook his head. "Really smart Grandpa."   
  
"When I told them your father nearly fainted, and believe your mother did. They can't wait to get down here and see you."  
  
"I'm sure they are."  
  
Grandpa sighed and left. Yami came back out and said, "That kind of stinks."  
  
"Tell me about," Yugi replied.   
  
"This really hasn't been your week has it?"  
  
"Does it look like it?"  
  
"No, but hey, you've only one week of school left before winter break, then you'll have all the time in the world to recover."  
  
"I'll have only two weeks."  
  
"Better then none." Yugi shook his head as Yami disappeared so he could take a nap.  
  
***  
  
Dragonwhisperer: *Still thinking *  
  
Joey: How long is she going to be at this?  
  
Tea: *Shrugs *   
  
Bakura: As for you readers, if you're enjoying the story at all, review her and tell her so, I think it'll make her feel better. 


	16. Chapter 16

Joey: Could she get any worse?  
  
Dragonwhisperer: *Sitting in corner, rocking back and forth, still thinking. *  
  
Yugi: *Shrugs * Lets just let our readers read; you all already know what the disclaimer is.  
  
-Telepathy-  
  
(Thoughts)  
  
Chapter 16  
  
Yugi started going back to school the next day. During lunch break Andy and his friends came over to see how he was doing.  
  
"So your parents are coming down?" Tea asked as they walked home at the end of the day.  
  
"Mm-hmm," Yugi answered.  
  
"Why didn't they come down earlier?" Joey asked.  
  
"Grandpa only just told them yesterday afternoon," Yugi answered.  
  
"Well that was smart," Tea said.  
  
"That's what I said," Yugi replied.   
  
"You said right," Tristan said. When they got to the game shop they helped Grandpa get Yugi into the house, then they had to go home.  
  
"So school was okay?" Grandpa asked.  
  
"As good as it could be," Yugi answered as Grandpa wheeled him to his room.   
  
"Got any homework?" Yugi nodded and he left him to it. He had gotten almost used to writing with his left hand, but it was still really messy.  
  
"I might as well do this on the computer," Yugi groaned as he crumpled up another sheet of paper.  
  
"And there goes another tree," Yami said as he watched the paper fall into the trash bin in Yugi's room.  
  
"Very funny," Yugi muttered as he got out another sheet of paper. At least he was good in math, biology was something he wanted to ditch, and he was afraid of the midterms that were going to happen only a few weeks after vacation.   
  
When he finally finished his homework, throwing out about five more sheets of paper during that time period, he was able to take a nap.   
  
"Yugi?" Grandpa asked when he walked into the room.  
  
Yugi jerked awake and grumbled a, "What?"  
  
"I just got a call from the doctor's, you have a checkup this weekend to see how your ribs are doing and see how much progress has come with your shoulder." Yugi nodded and went back to sleep.   
  
***  
  
The rest of the week was as normal as it could be for Yugi. He got to most of his classes on time; that is if Joey didn't stop to flirt with girls on the way there. By the time the weekend came Yugi was glad for it, but he didn't know what to expect when his parents came over. His doctor's appointment was the same day they were coming out, so they would probably be out by the time they got there, and frankly, Yugi really didn't care.  
  
Andy had offered to drive them to the hospital and back, and Yugi accepted his offer with great thanks, and Grandpa said that they would find some way to repay him for it as soon as they could.   
  
At the hospital, Dr. Kay said that Yugi's left shoulder had healed just enough to where she could remove part of the cast and he would have some use of his arm, even if the cast was still down just above his elbow. Then she discovered his knee had been slightly dislocated. It was a simple procedure, but it hurt. When it was over she gave him some painkillers, but they made his drowsy and he feel asleep on the way home.   
  
"Yugi," Grandpa said as he gently shook his grandson awake. Yugi groaned as he woke up. Andy helped them inside and left, he had other things to do, and so did they. "I'm going to call your parents and tell them we're home," Grandpa said after he had gotten Yugi to his room.  
  
Yugi nodded and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. The next time he woke, his mother was next to him.  
  
"Hey," she said, "How are you doing?"  
  
Yugi groaned and sat up awkwardly, "Sore, and drowsy." He noticed she was almost on the verge of tears, and didn't fault her for it. He wanted to go back to sleep, but he knew it wouldn't be right. "How long have you been sitting there?"  
  
"About an hour and a half." Yugi grabbed his alarm clocked to see what time it was, and then shoved it away. "Go back to sleep, it looks like you need it." Yugi nodded and promptly did so. Anna left his room and went back to the living room.  
  
"Did he wake up?" Mick asked.  
  
"For a minute," Anna replied, "but he still looked so drowsy I told him to go back to sleep."  
  
Mick nodded, and then turned to his father. "I know this is something I should be asking Yugi and not you, but do you think he could come out to our place? Just Sunday and Monday, and maybe even Tuesday, but that would all be up to him and he would be back before Christmas."  
  
Grandpa thought for a moment. "I don't see why not, but it's for him to decide."  
  
"I hope he says yes," Anna said. "It hasn't snowed yet, and it doesn't normally snow until three days or four days before Christmas, I think he would like to see that."  
  
"He's never seen snow before," Grandpa said. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind going up and spending the weekend with you."  
  
"But like you said," Mick added, "it's for him to decide."  
  
"That it is," Grandpa replied, "but he somehow finds a way to please everyone."  
  
"I'm not surprised," Mick said. He changed the subject to one that had been on his mind since a week ago. "What exactly happened to him?"  
  
"I'm not too sure myself. He knows more then me, but he doesn't like to talk about it."  
  
"I don't blame him," Anna said. "From what you told us on the phone, you said the arena he was on exploded?"  
  
"Yep, and still don't know how he survived. What amazes me, and stumps the doctors, is how he was able to walk all the way from the school to there with the injuries he had."  
  
"I would have to wonder too," Mick said.  
  
"I hope he recovers enough to be at least on two feet at graduation," Anna said. "Even if he has to be on crutches."  
  
"That won't be for a while," Grandpa said, "He still has to have his shoulder heal first and get that back to normal before he can even think about crutches."  
  
"This is not going to be an easy year for him," Mick said. "It just had to be his senior year didn't it?"  
  
"Oh well," Grandpa said. "He'll live through it, he has already."  
  
***  
  
Yugi slept for another hour. When he woke up he was still a little sleepy, but not enough to make him want to go back to sleep right away. He sat up and turned on the desk lamp so he could see. He looked at the clock, a quarter till six.   
  
"Explains things," Yugi said with a yawn. The door opened and his father poked his head in.  
  
"Hey tough guy," he said.  
  
Yugi rolled his eyes. "If I were that tough I wouldn't be like this."  
  
"No one is indestructible," Mick said as he opened the door and bit and walked in. "I've got a question for you."  
  
"And that is?" Yugi asked as he sat up and stretched slightly.   
  
"Anna and I were wondering if you would like to come up to our place and spend a few days there." Yugi stared at him. "It would only be tomorrow, Monday, and maybe Tuesday, and you'll be back here in time for Christmas."   
  
Yugi let that sink into his head for a moment, and then shook his head so it would clear. "You want me to go up there?"  
  
"It's up to you."  
  
Yugi thought for a moment. It would be something different, and it would give his something to do besides sit somewhere and do nothing. He looked up, "Why not, it'll be a change from what's been going on."  
  
Mick smiled. "Great, I'll tell Anna." He left and Yugi knew he had things to do.   
  
Against all the yelling Yami was doing in his head, Yugi somehow got himself into his wheelchair and over to his computer. He emailed all of his friends to let them know what he was doing, and then somehow got himself back in his bed, like he had never done a thing.  
  
I swear, Yami said, the next time you do that, I will haunt your nightmares until you wet your bed and wake up crying.  
  
And that will do me what? Yugi asked as he relaxed.   
  
It will teach you not to do anything stupid, Yami said. You don't want to hurt yourself again do you?  
  
Hey none of those times were ever my fault.  
  
Oh, and the falling out of bed events don't count? Yami asked.  
  
Point taken, Yugi replied, blushing a little. He didn't want to move anymore. It's not that he was in pain, which he wasn't; he was just comfortable for the first time in weeks.   
  
"Yugi," Grandpa said as he poked his head into the room, "dinner."  
  
"No," Yugi moan, "and just when I actually got comfortable."   
  
"Want me to bring it to you then?"  
  
"No," Yugi replied. He hadn't let him do that, it made him feel spoiled.   
  
"Well what are you going to do?" Grandpa asked. "I'm not going to let you use the excuse that you're too tired."  
  
"Then I gotta get up," Yugi moaned laughing. Grandpa helped him into his wheelchair and he wheeled Yugi out.   
  
"I can't wait until you get on crutches," Grandpa said as they arrived in the living room.  
  
"And you think I can?" Yugi asked. Dinner was a quiet affair, and when it was done Grandpa took Yugi back to his room. "I feel like an idiot."  
  
"Why?" Yami asked.   
  
"Because I can't do anything except sit in this chair."  
  
"You'll be out of it sooner than you think. And you'll wish you never got up once you start your therapy."  
  
"I don't even want to know." Yami chuckled and vanished as the door opened and Anna stuck her head in.  
  
"Doing okay?"  
  
"As okay as someone with a broken body can be," Yugi replied. Anna laughed and left him alone.  
  
***  
  
Dragonwhisperer: Okay, the readers are probably going to want an explanation.  
  
Joey: Hey, she's not a zombie anymore.  
  
Dragonwhisperer: *Glares at Joey. * I'm going to ignore that. But to explain, there is actually a story before this one, but it's still too small to even think about putting up. I don't even know if Yugi does have parents.  
  
Yugi: Thanks.  
  
Dragonwhisperer: Sorry. 


	17. Chapter 17

Dragonwhisperer: Ah! This is the last chapter I have that's complete. I have eighteen started, but it's not finished yet, and I can't think of what to write."  
  
Joey: You sound like you have a problem there.  
  
Yugi: I don't think is a very good time to crack jokes Joey.  
  
Joey: *Shrugs *   
  
Tea: Well, I'm sure all you readers know what the disclaimer is supposed to say, so we'll leave it at that, and let Dragonwhisperer continue to try and get a brainstorm.  
  
-Telepathy-  
  
(Thoughts)  
  
Chapter 17  
  
"Is his stuff all packed?" Mick asked as he loaded up the car.  
  
"I made sure," Anna said. She turned around as Grandpa wheeled Yugi out. "Ready?" she asked Yugi.  
  
"I don't know," Yugi, answered, "have no idea how this event will go."  
  
"Just don't drop him like you did his puzzle," Grandpa said as Mick came to get Yugi into the car.  
  
"Oh now I can't watch," Anna said as she turned around and covered her eyes.   
  
"You can't watch?" Yugi said, "I have to watch, 'cause he's doing it to me."   
  
"Why do you think I'm not watching?" Anna asked.   
  
"Oh shut up," Mick muttered. "I dropped his puzzle once, and he got it back together."   
  
"It took him a while," Anna said. Mick rolled his eyes and heaved Yugi out of the wheel chair and quickly got him into the car. "There, I didn't drop him."  
  
"Thank God," Anna said as she turned back around. Mick closed the wheelchair and smashed it into the trunk with everything else. "We'll bring him back alive," Anna said as she bent to kiss Grandpa on the cheek. "We'll call you when we get home."  
  
Grandpa nodded as he watched her and his son get into the car. He waved to Yugi, who waved back at him.   
  
Five minutes later they were no longer in sight, and Grandpa hoped that Yugi would have a good time.   
  
***  
  
After an hour on the rode, Anna asked Mick to pull over. She had glanced back at Yugi every so often during the ride, and noticed that he looked like he needed someone next to him.   
  
She surprised him when she got into the back seat next to him, sitting in the middle seat instead of the one near the door. "I thought you might like some company," she whispered as Mick drove on.   
  
Yugi smiled and nodded with gratitude. He looked out the window for a while, but without realizing it, after about twenty minutes, he fell asleep leaning against him mother.   
  
"I was waiting for this," she whispered. Mick looked through the rearview mirror and smiled at what he saw. Yugi had fallen asleep and his head was against Anna's chest area just underneath her shoulder.  
  
"Does he snore?" Mick asked whispering.  
  
"No," Anna replied, "Unlike you."   
  
"I don't snore," Mick retorted in a loud whisper. Anna giggled and wrapped her arm gently around her son's shoulders.   
  
It took them another two hours to get to their place, and Yugi slept the whole way. He only woke up when Mick shut the car door after he got out.  
  
"Wake up sleepy head," Anna said.   
  
Yugi woke up even more at those words, and noticed how he was sitting and sat up as fast as his body would let him. "Sorry," he mumbled.  
  
Anna laughed, "For what? I was actually hoping you would do that." Yugi looked at her with a confused face. She laughed again, "Never mind, I'd better help your father get the stuff in so he can get you out." She unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. She shut the door and came around to the other side to open him.   
  
As Mick got the wheel chair out of the trunk, Anna said, "Let me start taking some stuff inside, that way you can get Yugi out." Mick nodded and opened the chair.   
  
Mick had parked in such a way so the side where Yugi was sitting in the car was not facing the house. Anna trotted up the steps with her suitcase in hand and unlocked the door. To her surprise when she opened the door, their housekeeper Renee was just getting ready to leave.   
  
"Back all ready?" the sixty-year-old woman asked.   
  
"Yes," Anna said, "And with an extra body."  
  
"What do you mean?" Renee asked.  
  
"We got Yugi to come with us," Anna answered happily.  
  
"You mean your son?" Renee asked. She had seen pictures of the young man from their last trip and was excited to meet him.   
  
"Yes my son," Anna replied, "But he was in an accident."  
  
"Oh my goodness!"  
  
"He's all right, but he's in a wheelchair still, he has a broken shoulder, dislocated knee, and a broken ankle, but I think the ankle is nearly healed."   
  
"Oh the poor boy."  
  
"He seems to be taking it well, he's just very quiet; not that he wasn't quiet in the first place."  
  
"Well lets see him," Renee said as she followed Anna out the front door.  
  
"Did you get him in yet?" Anna asked Mick.  
  
"Yes," Mick answered as he shut the door.   
  
"Well bring him around, Renee wants to see him before she leaves."  
  
Mick glanced at Yugi, who was mouthing, "Who's Renee?"  
  
"Housekeeper," Mick answered in a whispered. "She seen pictures from when we came and saw you, so she already knows what you look like."   
  
"Great," Yugi mumbled as his father wheeled him around the car and into view. When he saw the old woman, she waved at him, and he waved back, just being polite, but he felt like just going back to sleep.   
  
"Something wrong?" Mick asked.  
  
"I want to go back to sleep," Yugi grumbled.   
  
Mick chuckled, "You're going to have to wait until we get you inside and unpacked first."  
  
"I do?" Yugi asked sarcastically, Mick laughed.   
  
"Now aren't you glad I had this ramp out in?" Anna asked as he husband wheeled Yugi up the ramp that was to the side of the stairs.  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Mick grumbled. They got inside and Yugi looked around form his position. "What do you think?"  
  
"You said you had money problems when you first had me," Yugi said, "What did you do, win the lottery?"  
  
Anna laughed, "No, we just went back to school and got better jobs."   
  
"Looks almost like Seto Kaiba's mansion," Yugi said as he looked around.  
  
"I think ours is a little smaller," Anna said, "But I don't think his has an enclosed, heated back porch that's close to a small forest."  
  
"Huh?" Yugi asked.   
  
"I'll show you." She steered his wheelchair to the back of the house. The porch was enclosed, made of mostly glass, but their were a few heating lamps along with an air conditioner/heater. "Sometimes deer and other animals come down from the mountains and run around the yard. It's also a nice place to sit and watch the snow fall."  
  
"Wow," Yugi whispered. "That sounds really neat."  
  
"It's best to watch it at night," Anna added. "That's when most of the animals come out, but not as many in winter sorry to say."   
  
Yugi gave his one shouldered shrug, "The fact that any come around at all amazes me."   
  
Anna smiled, "Good. Well, I guess I'd better take you to your room, you it's on the bottom floor, can't really get you upstairs." Yugi smiled as she turned the wheelchair around and headed towards a hallway.  
  
"Oh Anna," Renee said. "Do you need me to do anything before I leave?"  
  
"No," Anna answered, "But thanks for asking. Thank you for watching the house while we were away."  
  
"Any time," Renee said. "Call me if you need anything."   
  
"I will. Why don't you stay until we're done unloading the car; then Mick can drive you home."   
  
"That would be nice," Renee, said, "I will, thank you."  
  
"It's nothing." Anna turned back to Yugi, "Sorry about that, let me show you your room." She wheeled him down the hall and opened a door. "It's similar to yours at home, but slightly mirrored."  
  
She was right, kind of. The bed was on the opposite side of the room, but the desk was still next to it There was a window that began behind the desk and extended to just behind the bed, which cause a lot of light to come through, making a light almost unnecessary until dark.   
  
"Well," Anna said, "What do you think?"  
  
"You don't need a whole lot of light," Yugi said.   
  
Anna laughed, "No, not in this room."  
  
"Coming through," Mick said as he appeared with Yugi's bag. He set it down and turned around. "Well," he said to Yugi, "What do you want to do?"  
  
Yugi didn't answer right away, but Anna noticed he was having trouble keeping his eyes open, and answered for him, "I think he needs a nap." Yugi nodded.  
  
"I can see," Mick said. They got him into bed and left him to sleep.  
  
***  
  
Joey: Sheesh, if they live in a house like that, why didn't they bring Yugi there a long time ago?  
  
Dragonwhisperer: *Shrugs * Um... Anyway, until next chapter then, when I finish it. 


	18. Chapter 18

Joey: Hey, a new chapter!  
  
Dragonwhisperer: Took me long enough.  
  
Yugi: All you do is hurt me.  
  
  
Dragonwhisperer: Hush, you wanna ruin it?  
  
Yugi: *Thinking * Yes, I do.  
  
Dragonwhisperer: *Sighs * Whatever. Anyway, you all know I don't own theses characters, except for the few I've made up, you know who they are who they might be. Thanks for waiting so patiently, enjoy!  
  
-Telepathy-  
  
(Thoughts)  
  
Chapter 18  
  
Yugi slept most of the afternoon. When he woke up, he wasn't sure of where he was until he sat up.   
  
"It's going to take a while to get used to a room that's completely white," he muttered.  
  
-You won't be here for long, - Yami said silently just in case his parents were nearby.   
  
Yugi thought, -I just hope I don't sleep the whole time. -  
  
-I won't let you, - Yami said. Yugi smiled, and then his mother opened the door.  
  
"Oh, you're awake," she said as she walked in.  
  
"How long did I sleep?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Just over two hours," Anna answered. She looked outside; "Say, normally on Saturday nights, your father and I go for a walk. We didn't know what you would want to do, but I thought bringing it up wouldn't it hurt."  
  
Yugi thought about it for a moment, "Why not," he answered. "It would be nice to see what the neighborhood looks like."  
  
Anna smiled, "Yeah? I'll go and get your father then, I can't get you into the wheelchair, and I don't want you doing it yourself." Yugi sighed as Anna got up and went to find her husband.   
  
-This should be interesting, - Yami said.  
  
-Shut up, - Yugi grumbled as Mick walked in.   
  
"Let's get you in this stupid chair," Mick said. He got Yugi in and wheeled him to the front room where Anna was waiting.  
  
"Ready?" Anna asked. Yugi nodded and they left the house.   
  
They had just gotten onto the sidewalk when Anna waved to someone across the street. It was a woman and her daughter, and to Yugi's great un-enjoyment, they came over.   
  
"Who's this Anna?" the woman asked.  
  
"My son," Anna answered. "Don't tell me you don't remember the photos I showed you?"  
  
"I thought he looked familiar," the woman said.   
  
Anna turned to Yugi. "Yugi, this is Naria Shinto and her daughter Arime." Yugi just waved, his normal shyness taking over.   
  
"He's quiet," Naria whispered.  
  
"Maybe he just has brain damage," Arime muttered.  
  
"Arime!" Naria exclaimed. "How dare you say such a thing?"   
  
"If I had been brain damaged," Yugi interrupted, "I don't think I would have been able to walk six blocks from the site of the explosion."  
  
"That just proves you're stubborn," Arime said.   
  
"I'd rather be stubborn than rude," Yugi muttered.   
  
Arime glared at him, but Naria said, "I guess we should be going home now." She glared at her daughter, "I guess I have yet to teach my daughter proper manners." She gripped her daughter's arm and the walked off.  
  
"Cheery," Yugi muttered.  
  
"Are you okay?" Anna asked.  
  
"Fine," Yugi answered. "Though I wouldn't mind going back inside now."  
  
"I agree," Mick said as he turned the wheelchair around. Once they were inside, Anna took Yugi to his room.  
  
"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked.  
  
"I'm fine," Yugi answered. In all truth, he was just angry, which was reasonable. "Perhaps going out wasn't the best idea anyway."  
  
"True," Anna replied. "Not many people heard about what happened, unlike those from where you live. I'd say the majority of the city knows about it."  
  
"I wouldn't be surprised Yugi said.   
  
Anna sighed, "Well, I don't know what to say. I know your father isn't in a good mood, and you're not in much of a good one either."  
  
"Your point being?" Yugi asked, a little ruder than he wanted to sound, even though he didn't want to sound rude at all.  
  
Anna shook her head, "Nothing, I'll leave you alone, looks like you could use some time alone." She walked out of his room, leaving Yugi in his chair.   
  
-That girl was so out of line! - Yami yelled.  
  
-You're going to give me a headache if you continue to yell like that, - Yugi informed the enraged spirit.  
  
-Sorry, - Yami said. -But you know that was uncalled for. -  
  
-Of course I do, - Yugi replied. -Why do you think I snapped at her the way I did? -  
  
-That's true, - Yami sighed. Yugi groaned, and the got himself out of his wheelchair and onto his bed. -What have I told you about doing that? -  
  
-Uh, - Yugi mumbled, -I don't know, I'm drawing a blank. - He knew of course, he just wanted to mess with Yami, since he hardly ever did.   
  
-Sure you are, - Yami said, -and your mother's a blonde. -   
  
-Hey! - Yugi retorted. -Fool around with me all you want, but don't pull her into it. -  
  
-Sorry, - Yami said. -You know I was just kidding. -   
  
Yugi groaned and lay back against his pillow. -I know; I'm just not in a good mood, that's all. -  
  
-I noticed, - Yami muttered.  
  
Yugi smirked, his anger cooling down. He looked at the clock on the table next to his bed. -Seven o'clock, and all I want to do is sleep. -  
  
-Then do so, - Yami replied. -But don't whine at me when your stomach and banging against your spine to get your attention. -   
  
Yugi couldn't help but laugh out loud. It was true, he hadn't eaten all day, except when his mother forced him to eat breakfast that morning, and he really didn't feel like eating anyway.   
  
-Whatever, - Yugi said, and feel asleep.  
  
***  
  
The next day, Yugi woke up to an odd sound coming from outside. He sat up and was just able to reach the window to pull the blinds down.   
  
White flakes were drifting to the ground, and an odd watery thump made him realize that was what had woken him up. It had been a small mound of snow that had fallen from the roof.   
  
"Well this is new," Yugi whispered.   
  
"I was hoping you would wake up soon and notice." Yugi turned to see Anna standing in the doorway. "What do you think?"  
  
"Makes a weird sound when it falls in a clump," Yugi answered.  
  
Anna laughed, "Why wouldn't it?" She smiled, "Hungry?"  
  
What Yami had said had happened. It felt more like his stomach was wrapped around his backbone, not beating it, but it still didn't feel good. Yugi nodded and Anna helped him into his chair.  
  
***   
  
After he had eaten, Mick asked him if he wanted to sit out in the heated patio for a while. Yugi agreed, as long as he could get a book out of his bag first.   
  
As soon as they did that, Mick rolled Yugi out to the enclosed patio.   
  
"I've got some work to do," Mick said, "And your mom has some housework, so if you need anything you're going to have to yell really loud."   
  
Yugi laughed, "Yeah, sure."   
  
Mick left the patio and Yugi was by himself.   
  
-This is quite entertaining, - Yam muttered sarcastically.   
  
-Hey, - Yugi said, -at least it's heated. -   
  
-True, - Yami replied.   
  
***  
  
After a few hours of sitting there, Yugi was bored of his book, and was staring out into the snow-covered backyard.   
  
"Yugi?"  
  
Yugi turned around in his chair as best he could to see his mother, but she wasn't alone.   
  
"There's someone here to see you," Anna said. At her words, Arime appeared in the light.   
  
Yugi did not feel like talking to her. But, knowing that he had to, he sighed and mumbled, "All right."   
  
He heard someone walked forward, and someone else walk away. He figured it was Arime that hat walked forward, but did not turn around to look at her.   
  
"Yugi?" came Arime's voice.  
  
"Yes," Yugi answered softly, then smirked silently as he heard her jump. Apparently she wasn't expecting his to answer. "Did I startle you?" he asked, slight amusement in his voice.   
  
"I just forgot how deep your voice was," Arime answered, trying to hide her slightly shaking voice since he had startled her.   
  
Yugi felt quite amused. "So, why did you comer here? Is your mother making you apologize to me or something?" He heard he grumble to herself, "I'm right aren't I?"  
  
"Are you always like this?" Arime asked, annoyance in her voice.  
  
"Like what?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Able to tell what someone's going to do," Arime answered.   
  
"Just in a duel," Yugi answered. "But for your situation, it's pretty obvious, and from the sound of your voice, you don't want to be here."   
  
"You're good," Arime said. "Where did you learn to do it?"  
  
"I don't know," Yugi answered.   
  
He heard Arime growl, and suddenly she was standing right next to him, anger blazing from her face.   
  
"What'd I do?" Yugi asked, but then found himself getting a painful slap in the face. "What was that for?" he asked, he cheek still stinging.   
  
"For acting like a know-it-all," Arime answered.   
  
"Well excuse me for just stating facts," Yugi spat back, not believing the tone of his voice.   
  
Arime moved to stand in front of his wheelchair, "So I'm guessing the apology I'm about to make you know I don't mean right?"   
  
"Uh, Arime," Yugi said. He had noticed something outside as she had moved in front of him, and could still see it, and he didn't like what it was.   
  
"I don't care what you have to say," Arime interrupted.  
  
"But," Yugi tired again, but she cut him off.  
  
"Save it!" she spat.  
  
"Then so will you!" Yugi said as he used all the strength he had in his left arm, and any he could give in his right arm, and shoved her out of the way as a mountain lion smashed through the window.  
  
***  
  
Glass flew everywhere. Yugi heard Arime scream, but he was the lion's prey, and he had to think fast.  
  
The mountain lion knocked him out his chair, but it was oddly slow, and didn't catch him in its claws.   
  
Yugi didn't know how he did it, but he managed somehow to get up on his feet and move backwards to keep the loin from trying to attack him again. It didn't work for long.  
  
The loin growled and slunk after him. Yugi got himself up against the back door, and cursed himself for not paying attention to where he was going. As the loin launched himself at him, he then realized he held a large shard of glass in one hand.  
  
***   
  
Arime watched as the loin attacked Yugi, smashing into the door and sending the both of them outside and into the snow. "Mr. Motuoh!" she screamed.   
  
He appeared seconds after she called, a shotgun in his hands. "What happened?" he asked frantically. He had heard the roar and screaming and the breaking glass, and knew that something bad was happening.   
  
"A mountain lion!" Arime said. She looked to where the lion had landed on Yugi, but the situation was not what it seemed.  
  
***  
  
Yugi really only realized what he had done after he had been down for a few seconds. The loin was on top of him, but motionless. But that wasn't all that Yugi felt. Everything that had happened as the lion had launched itself at Yugi came back to him.   
  
The bulk of the force from the attack had hit squarely in his chest, and he knew more than just his ribs had been damaged from that. The lion had also dug its hind left foot into Yugi's injured knee, snapping the cast and severally dislocating his knee, again.   
  
His left hand stung too. He had remembered the glass in his hand just as the lion had attacked. He had raised it up just in time to bury it in the lion's heart, killing it before it could kill him. He hurt all over, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get the big cat off of him.   
  
(No one's coming,) Yugi thought. (I have to get this thing off of me myself.)   
  
He suspected Yami helped, but he finally got the cat off. Just in time to see his father coming through the ruined door with a shotgun.  
  
"You're alive!" Mick gasped as he ran to him.   
  
"Just barely," Yugi mumbled, just realizing the blood coming from his mouth, confirming to him that his broken ribs had punctured something.   
  
"Anna!" Mick yelled. "Call an ambulance!"   
  
The last thing Yugi heard before he blacked out was his father's yelling, and the sound of sirens approaching them.  
  
***  
  
Dragonwhisperer: Hey, not bad for my first chapter after a writer's block.  
  
Joey: That was long. Ten pages.  
  
Yugi: Why do I think more bad stuff is going to happen to me?  
  
Dragonwhisperer: Now why would you think that? *Evil look behind his back * Well, I'm hoping to finish and format the next chapter and upload it with this one. If I don't, I'll have it up as fast as I can. Reviews please. Don't flame me too hard for taking so long. 


	19. Chapter 19

Dragonwhisperer: Hey, I finally found time to update!   
  
Joey: What a concept.  
  
Dragonwhisperer: And what do you do everyday after school?  
  
Joey: Play Duel Monsters.  
  
Dragonwhisperer: Explains why you have so much time of your hands.  
  
Joey: No one told you to be in marching band.   
  
Dragonwhisperer: *Glares at him *  
  
Tristan: One time, at band camp...  
  
Dragonwhisperer: *Chases him around the room. Parinoidfreak (Friend of mine) comes in, carrying a flute. . *  
  
Parinoidfreak: *Hits Tristan over the head with flute. * I know someone that would've hit harder. *Waves to Dragonwhisperer, who grins back. *  
  
Joey: Who's he?  
  
Parinoidfreak: A band member, and don't you forget it!   
  
Joey: -_-0  
  
Dragonwhisperer: Thank you Parinoidfreak, would you kindly do the disclaimer?  
  
Parinoidfreak: Sure. Dragonwhisperer does not own Yugioh.   
  
Chapter 19  
  
The same time that day, back in lower Domino, Yugi's friends had decided to go and visit Grandpa. They found him in the game shop, tangled in tinsel.  
  
"What are you doing?" Tea asked as she Tristan untangled the man.  
  
"Well I thought about putting up some decorations in the shop," Grandpa said, "Guess the tinsel got the better of me."  
  
"We can tell," Joey said.   
  
"I have some more things in the house," Grandpa said, "Could you guys help me with it?"  
  
"Sure," Joey answered for everyone. They followed Grandpa into the house where a box of stuff sat on the floor.   
  
***  
  
After about ten minutes, they were carrying some of it into the shop. Bad timing on their part, since everyone had their hands full, the phone rang in the house.   
  
"Could one of you get that?" Grandpa asked.  
  
"I will," Joey, said, who conveniently didn't have as much stuff in his hands. He set whatever he did have down and ran into the house. "Motuoh residence, Joey speaking." His listened from the receiver, hearing a very frantic but familiar voice on the other end. "Whoa, whoa, slow down. You're not making any sense."   
  
Grandpa and the others came in, just in time to hear Joey yell, "You've got to be kidding me!"  
  
"Who is it Joey?" Grandpa asked.   
  
"Yes," Joey said, slightly ignoring Grandpa for the moment. He found a pen and paper wrote something down. "Yeah, I'll them." He hung up the receiver and looked at the others, grim faced.   
  
"What is it Joey?" Tea asked, not liking the look on her friends face.   
  
"That was Yugi's mom," Joey answered. "It sounds a little weird, but it's true."  
  
"What is Joey?" Tristan asked. "Spit it out already."  
  
"Yugi got attacked by a mountain lion," Joey answered, his voice was serious.  
  
"Are you serious Joey?" Grandpa asked, almost too stunned to speak.  
  
Joey nodded, "That was all she told me, but she gave me the address of the hospital they're at." He handed the piece of paper to Grandpa.   
  
"But they're over three hours away from here," Tea said.  
  
"I could head there now," Tristan offered. "Just let me zip home, pack some stuff, and I'll blast over there on my bike."  
  
"It's the quickest way for one of us to get there," Grandpa agreed. "Go ahead then Tristan." He hand Tristan copy down the address, and the older teen left.  
  
"Now how are we supposed to get there?" Joey asked.   
  
"None of us can drive yet," Tea said, "And a taxi would by way too expensive."   
  
"That isn't exactly true," Bakura said.  
  
"What do you mean?" Joey asked.  
  
"I just got my license a few months ago," Bakura answered, a little ashamed that he hadn't mentioned in earlier. "I could drive, if my dad doesn't mind loaning us his car."   
  
"Why didn't you say something sooner?" Joey yelled.   
  
"Stop yelling at him," Tea snapped. "At least he can."   
  
"You kids go home and get permission from your parents if you can come. And if Bakura can get his father's care, we'll go. But if he can't, we'll have to think of something else."   
  
They all nodded and the three teens left the shop.  
  
***   
  
Tristan, after half an hour, was zooming along the blacktop of the freeway.   
  
(Next time I go to a gas station,) he thought, (I'll make sure to bring more than just five bucks to fill up my tank.) That amount of money hadn't even filled up the gas tank of his motorcycle halfway, so he had to go home and find his gas card to finish filling it up.   
  
As he went just over seventy on the highway, he thought about how the others might get to where he was heading. (Oh well,) he thought. (They'll get there somehow, even if it does cost them a pretty penny.)   
  
On his bike, and going at that speed, he made it to where he need to be in just over two hours, but it took him another twenty minutes to find the hospital. "Next time," Tristan said as he got off his bike and took off his helmet, "if I have the time, I'm bringing a road map.  
  
His helmet under on arm, he headed into the building. He wasn't very sure where Yugi's parents would be, and he doubted they were expecting of them to be there by now.   
  
(Looks like I have to find them on my own,) Tristan thought. He had no clue where anything was in this place, unlike the one back home he knew like the back of his hand, since Yugi had been there for so long in the first place.  
  
As he walked around, keeping an eye out for Yugi's parents, several people eyeing him suspiciously. (What are you bozos staring at?) Tristan thought to himself, rather annoyed.   
  
When he felt like he had searched the bottom floor enough, he found the elevators. As he waited for one of them to become available, he kept himself from pacing in circles by tapping his heel on the floor, but that was just as enough to show that he was impatient. When one door finally opened, one person was occupying it, and it was someone he recognized.  
  
"Mrs. Motuoh," Tristan said.  
  
Anna looked up as she exited the elevator. "Oh, wait I remember you, you're Tristan right?"  
  
Tristan nodded as he approached the woman. "What's going on? What happened?"  
  
Anna sighed and explained what happened. By the time she was finished, Tristan felt too stunned to move.   
  
"He's still in surgery," Anna added. "They have to completely reconstruct his rib cage. And that's only one thing he has to go through. His knee was so badly dislocated that it has to be surgically repaired too."   
  
"Ouch," Tristan flinched. "Man, this going to be one lousy Christmas."   
  
Anna nodded and rubbed her head. "I need some aspirin, it's why I came down here in the first place, so I could get some at the pharmacy."  
  
"I've got some in a pack on my bike," Tristan offered. "I've got some water too."   
  
Anna smiled, "Thanks."  
  
They both went outside and Tristan rummaged through his bike pack to find the aspirin.  
  
Anna had just finished when someone in a white char pulled up next to them.   
  
"Anna," Grandpa stuck his head out the window of the car.  
  
"Huh?" Tristan asked. "Who's driving that thing?"  
  
"Bakura," Joey said as he rolled down his window, he and Tea were sitting in the back seats.   
  
"Oh really," Tristan said. He could see Bakura now. "Did he drive on the right side of the road?"   
  
"Not funny," Bakura replied as the car's other occupants began to laugh. "But there was some idiot driving on the wrong side of the freeway on our way here. He almost hit me!"   
  
"I'm glad I wasn't in the car," Tristan said. "Hurry up and go park."  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Bakura muttered and went to go and park.   
  
Tristan and Anna waited for them by the door, and they all went in together. Anna led them back to the elevators and took them up to the third floor where they had been waiting.   
  
Mick looked up when they arrived, and asked his wife, "I thought you had left by yourself?"  
  
"I ran into Tristan downstairs," Anna, answered, "Then the rest of them showed up."   
  
"Any word?" Grandpa asked.   
  
Mick shook his head, "Nothing."  
  
"They've been in there for almost two hours though," Anna said.   
  
"They'll be in there as long as they need to," Grandpa said. "I know waiting isn't the easy part, we all do."   
  
They waited for another half an hour before a nurse from the operating room said that the surgery was just over half done.   
  
"Half?" Mick asked exasperated after the nurse left. "Only half?"  
  
"Is this the third of four time he's gotten his ribs broken?" Joey asked.  
  
"I lost count," Grandpa answered. "One minute he seems like he's healing fine, then next he's in the hospital with something else broken or what have you."   
  
"No kidding," Tea mumbled, remembering the day she had gone to the hospital and being told that Yugi had almost died during the night.   
  
"Does this mean we have to wait another two and a half hours?" Tristan asked.  
  
"Don't be surprised," Bakura answered.  
  
***  
  
Dragonwhisperer: Finally, it's up.  
  
Parinoidfreak: Can I hit Tristan in the head again?  
  
Dragonwhisperer: If you don't care that your flute will get even more bent than it already is.  
  
Parinoidfreak: *looks at flute, it's bent almost into a U shape * NOO! My flute! Damn you Tristan, what's your head made out of?  
  
Tristan: I don't know.  
  
Dragonwhisperer: Explains things.  
  
Parinoidfreak: Can I go get my Sousaphone? (Big tuba like thing.)  
  
Dragonwhisperer: Only if you put the bell on Tristan's head.  
  
Parinoidfreak: *Hops up and down * Yay! *Runs on to get Sousaphone *  
  
Tristan: I'm in trouble.  
  
Dragonwhisperer: Uh-oh, what's going to happen now? Find out when I post the next chapter. Reviews please. Again, sorry this took so long. And for those of you that read my Yu Yu Hakusho stuff, I'm going to try and update that too, I thank you for your patience, if you haven't abandoned me. 


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh.  
  
-Telepathy-  
  
(Thoughts)  
  
Chapter 20  
  
As Tristan had asked, the surgery did take another two and a half hours. When it was finally over, the surgeon himself came out to talk to all of them.   
  
"He'll live," he said. "It went rather well actually. The puncture wounds to some of his organs weren't very bad, nor were the lacerations. As you may have suspected, the rib reconstruction took up the most time."  
  
"This isn't the end of it is it?" Mick asked.  
  
The surgeon shook his head; "We would like to do the knee surgery tomorrow."  
  
"When will he be able to come home?" Tea asked.  
  
The surgeon thought for a moment, "Well, if all goes smoothly, hopefully by Christmas."   
  
"Day or night?" Joey asked.  
  
The surgeon laughed, "Whenever you feel like taking him home."   
  
As Yugi's friends exchanged grins, a nurse came up and whispered into the surgeon's ear. "Already?" he asked. The nurse nodded. "Well," he said everyone, "It's seems that he's awake. If you just follow the nurse, she'll take you to his room."   
  
"Show us the way," Joey said enthusiastically.   
  
The nurse giggled and showed them all to Yugi's room. When they walked in, Yugi looked a little too drowsy to be awake.  
  
"I don't think the anesthetic has completely worn off," Tea said.   
  
"Nothing hurts," Yugi said groggily.  
  
"He's also drugged," the nurse added.   
  
"That explains things," Anna said.   
  
The nurse left them alone, but not before warning all of them that if to much noise was heard in here, she'd kick them all out.   
  
"Now why did you go and do this for?" Tea asked as they sat down.  
  
"Do what?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Got yourself attacked by a mountain lion," Tea answered, knowing the medication was what was keeping Yugi from thinking straight.  
  
"I didn't ask it to," Yugi grumbled.   
  
"Before you all got here," Mick said, "I got a call from the wildlife rangers that had come to pick up the body. They had seen the cat before; it had been coming down from the mountains since food was scarce, mostly getting dogs and cats. Apparently that supply went down to, and it went after the next best thing."  
  
"An injured human," Tea gulped.   
  
"Exactly," Mick replied. "It must have been extremely desperate, to break through a window to get to him."   
  
"That's how the food chain goes," Bakura mumbled. "The strong prey on the weak, and the weak prey on the weaker."   
  
"Bakura," Joey said.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Shut up," Joey answered. The whole room laughed quietly.   
  
"The doctors say that you can come home Christmas Eve," Anna said, changing the subject.  
  
"But that's in just a few days," Yugi said.  
  
Anna shrugged, "It's what the doctor said, and the sooner we get you out of here, the better."   
  
"Why?" Yugi asked, "Afraid of what the bill is gonna cost?"  
  
Anna laughed, "No, since it won't be nearly as much as what your grandfather had to pay the first time you were in the hospital."   
  
"That's very true," Grandpa grumbled. "It's going to take a while to pay that off."  
  
"Sorry," Yugi mumbled. "Where am I again?"  
  
Everyone laughed. "I think all of these painkillers are going to your head," Anna said.   
  
"What else is new?" Yugi grumbled. The painkillers weren't the whole problem, the anesthetic was still clinging to him, so he could see straight, let alone think straight.   
  
"Maybe you should sleep off the rest of he anesthetic," Anna suggested. Yugi nodded as he closed his eyes, and fell asleep instantly. They all left to let him sleep.  
  
***  
  
The next morning, when Yugi woke up completely free of the anesthetic, he looked around from where he lay. (Well, at least I can remember what happened now and where I am.)   
  
He glanced around the room for a clock and found one on the far wall. It read half past eight, and he wondered where his family and friends were.   
  
-Good morning sleepy head, - Yami teased.   
  
-Shut up, - Yugi grumbled. -Where is everyone? -   
  
-I have the same question, - Yami answered. -Frankly, I'm surprised they thought about leaving the puzzle in here, and would have guessed that they would have given it right to your parents. -  
  
-Well, they didn't, - Yugi said, -I don't see the problem with it. -  
  
Yami sighed in his mind, and then the door opened and Mick walked in. "Hey you're awake."  
  
"You seem surprised," Yugi said to his father. "Where's everyone else?"  
  
"Outside still," Mick answered. "They'll be in here in a few minutes."   
  
"How did you get here so quickly?" Yugi asked.  
  
"I got to the elevator first," Mick smirked. "The rest were full."  
  
"I'm betting Mom's going to swat you upside the head when she gets here," Yugi said.  
  
She did. A minute after Mick arrived; Anna came through the door and smacked her husband's head, hard. "I know that's it's supposed to be ladies first," Anna said, "But you don't look female to me."  
  
Yugi laughed as his father rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, yeah, I know," Mick, grumbled. "You still got here anyway."  
  
"You're making excuses," Anna pointed out. She smiled, "You're right though, we did get here." Her smiled faded, "You know Yugi, you have surgery on your knee today."  
  
"When?" Yugi asked.   
  
"In about an hour," Mick answered. "The nurse will probably be in soon to prep you for the anesthetic."  
  
"Didn't I just get over that?" Yugi grumbled.   
  
"And you'll have to get over it again," Tea giggled. "But let's hope this one doesn't take as long."   
  
"It shouldn't." They turned around to see a nurse standing in the doorway. "Sorry to interrupt, but I need to prep him for surgery now."   
  
"See ya later Yugi," Joey said as they all let his room.  
  
***  
  
As soon as the anesthetic took affect, Yugi was out, but the sleep wasn't the same. He felt like he was struggling for something, but he didn't know what. The dream he had was odd, he was stuck behind some invisible barrier that kept him from getting to some light way ahead of him.   
  
It felt like forever, but he was finally able to break the barrier. He opened his eyes and saw a slightly blurred figure. After a few seconds he was able to figure out that it was his mother, but he could move or speak, he didn't have the energy.   
  
Anna finally noticed him, "Yugi, are you all right?"  
  
He couldn't answer; he couldn't even shake or nod head.   
  
"He can't answer," said an unfamiliar male voice. "The overdose of anesthetic is still affecting him, so he doesn't have a whole lot of energy."  
  
Yugi wasn't quite understanding everything he was hearing, and felt like going back to sleep. As he closed his eyes he heard his mother cry out his name, and his eyes snapped open again.   
  
"Relax," said the voice again, "He needs the sleep; it's the only way he's going to recover."  
  
"I'm sorry," the woman said, "I'm just so worried about him."   
  
"You had a big scare," the voice replied. "He'll be fine now, let him sleep it off."   
  
***  
  
When Yugi woke again, he wasn't nearly so drowsy. His room was completely empty of people. He tried to sit up, and finally noticed that his shoulder was not in the cast, but wrapped with protective bandages, which allowed it to be slightly mobile. He tried to move it, and it hurt. He bit his tongue to keep from cursing, and finally got himself to sit up.   
  
"What happened?" he muttered to himself. Then he remembered, the conversation between his mother and some unknown male voice about an anesthetic overdoes. (That could've killed me,) Yugi realized and gulped. (I guess it's just another brush with death that I can add to the list.)  
  
Suddenly the door to his room opened and nurse walked in. "Oh you're awake," she said with surprise. "I should probably call your family and let them know." She smiled, "Or would you rather call them?"   
  
Yugi thought about what his parents' expressions would be if he called them, and then nodded. "Should be an interesting experience." He could barely remember their phone number; it had been a long time since he had last used it. The phone rang a few times, and then someone finally picked it up.  
  
"Hello?" Mick asked.   
  
"Dad?" Yugi asked, just to be sure.  
  
"Yugi!" his father exclaimed. "You're awake and talking on the phone, are you really that okay?"  
  
"I feel fine," Yugi answered.   
  
"Yugi you had an overdoes of anesthetic," Mick said, "You nearly died during surgery."  
  
"I gathered that," Yugi said. "How long have I been out? What day is it?"  
  
"I'm sorry to say Yugi," Mick said, "but it's a day after Christmas, you just missed it."   
  
"Aw man" Yugi groaned. "Where is everyone anyway?"  
  
"You're friends had to go home Christmas Eve," Mick answered, "but your grandfather is still here."   
  
"I'm surprised they aren't on any other phones in the house," Yugi said. "Do they even know?"  
  
Mick chuckled, "You're grandfather's asleep and your mother's in the shower."   
  
Yugi made a face that only his nurse could see, "Talk about bad timing," he muttered.   
  
"Very true," Mick said. He heard someone walk up behind him. He turned around to see Grandpa. "Ah, perfect." He handed the phone to Grandpa, "Here, talk."  
  
"Wha...?" Grandpa asked. "Who is it?"   
  
"You'll find out?" Mick answered.   
  
"Okay..." Grandpa muttered as he brought the phone to his ear. "Hello?"  
  
Yugi had been listening on the other end and knew exactly how to reply. "Have a nice nap?" he asked.   
  
"Yugi!" Grandpa exclaimed.  
  
(Figures it would be the same reaction as my father,) Yugi thought. He listened to his grandfather babble about how surprised he was to hear that he was awake and on the phone.   
  
"You missed Christmas," Grandpa said.  
  
"I heard," Yugi grumbled.   
  
"You're friends almost didn't go home," Grandpa said. "They've been worried sick about you, they've been calling everyday to see if you've woken up yet."   
  
"I'm not surprised," Yugi mumbled. He figured if they had the chance, his friends would have not gone home and spent Christmas Eve in the hospital.   
  
"Neither are we," Grandpa said.  
  
"Whose on the phone?" Anna said as she walked into the room, her hair still damp from her shower.   
  
"Here," Mick and Grandpa said together as Grandpa held out the phone.   
  
"Uh," Anna gaped as she took the phone. The grins on their faces confused her, and she hesitantly put the phone to her ear. "Hello?"  
  
"Mom?" Yugi asked, wondering why their had been silence and suddenly a feminine voice on the other line. As soon as he said that he pulled the phone away from his ear as his mother started yelling and screaming on the other end. "Are you okay?" he asked tentatively when the screaming quieted a little. More yelling started, but he couldn't tell if it was pointed at him, or to his father and grandfather for not telling her earlier that her son was on the phone.   
  
"When did you wake up?" she asked suddenly.  
  
Yugi looked at the clock, "About half an hour ago," he answered.   
  
"We'll be there in about half that time," Anna said quickly. The receiver clicked and she was gone.  
  
"I'm guessing they're on their way?" the nurse asked when she saw Yugi stare stupidly at the phone.   
  
Yugi looked up at his nurse and nodded stupidly.  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: Hey, so sorry this took so long to update. I've been so bad with this story, it's been like six months since I last updated. I hope it wasn't too boring, and I really don't how long the next chapter is going to take to write. Anyway, I hope that I didn't lose all of you and that you enjoyed the first chapter after this long time span. Review me and tell me what you think. 


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh.  
  
-Telepathy-  
  
(Thoughts)  
  
Chapter 21  
  
Yugi wait approximately nineteen minutes before his parents burst through the door.   
  
"Oh Yugi you're okay," Anna cried as she hugged her son.   
  
Yugi was feeling very embarrassed, and his father and grandfather weren't helping matters any by smirking behind his mother's back.   
  
"Okay Mom," Yugi said, "I think you've proven your point."   
  
"What do you mean I've proven my point?" Anna asked as she shook him.   
  
Yugi wanted to scream, and was very relieved when his father and grandfather pried her off. "Thank you," Yugi gasped, his shoulder screaming in protest.   
  
"Sorry," Anna apologized. "I guess I'm getting just a little carried away. I'm just worried about you though."   
  
Yugi sighed as he rubbed his abused shoulder. "I understand." He then asked, "Did they get a chance to finish the surgery?"  
  
"Just barely," Mick answered.   
  
"So when do I get to go home?" Yugi asked. All three of his guardians exchanged glances, "You don't know do you?" They shook their heads. Yugi groaned, "Well, I feel fine, will they let me go if I tell them that?"  
  
"I doubt it," Mick said, "After what you've been through, I'd say you'll be in here another week, but that's just me, you'll need to ask the professional if you want the truth."   
  
Yugi rolled his eyes, but to his joy, a doctor walked in.   
  
"It sounds like someone wants to go home," the doctor said. He watched Yugi nod enthusiastically. "Well, I don't know. That last bought with death was a close one..."  
  
"Can I go home or not?" Yugi blurted out, rather surprised at himself for being so impatient.  
  
The doctor, not at all offended, chuckled, "Yes you can go home. I'm sure by the time all of this is over, you'll never want to set foot in a hospital again." The doctor nodded to Yugi's parents and left.   
  
"Let's get you clothed and then we can go home," Anna said.  
  
ooo   
  
"You wanna know the worst thing about not being able to move?" Yugi asked Yami.   
  
"What's that?" Yami asked. They had been back at Yugi's parents' place for two days now, and Yugi was as antsy as a little kid at a fair.   
  
"When you can't sit still!" Yugi just barely kept himself from screaming. He was so frustrated. He wanted to get up, but his injuries still kept him stuck wherever he was lying. He could sit up, slowly, using both arms now, being very gentle with his right arm, but he couldn't stand or walk around yet. He still had physical therapy to go through both for his shoulder and his leg.   
  
He had regained most of the use for his right leg, but his ankle had been healed for a long time, and Yugi had used that leg a lot for whatever he could manage to do when he wasn't lying around doing nothing.   
  
"Well you'll be able to use crutches once you build the muscles in you shoulder back up," Yami said.   
  
"I won't be able to do that until I start physical therapy," Yugi grumbled.   
  
"Then you're going to have to be patient," Yami taunted.   
  
Yugi growled at him, "You're lucky you not solid."   
  
"What would do if I was?" Yami asked. "You're stuck, you can't move from that bed."   
  
Yugi glared at Yami, and then groaned and lay slowly down on his back. "Sorry Yami. I'm just really bored, and I'm sick and tired of being stuck where I'm sat." He looked at the bandaging on the palm of his left hand, underneath were the stitches that held the gash the shard of glass had caused closed. "Damned lion. Oh well, I guess if that hadn't happened I wouldn't have had these surgeries that have repaired me as much as they have."   
  
"And yet those surgeries have yet to allow you move," Yami pointed out.  
  
Yugi glared at him again, "Stop reminding me." He sighed, "From what Grandpa told me, I won't even be starting therapy until after break, which means I still have a week, of maybe even longer."   
  
Yami chuckled. "I'm sure you'll survive."  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Yugi grumbled as he reached for his CD player on his beside table. He got the headphones on, wincing at the tenderness in his right shoulder after being immobile for so long. As soon as the headphones were securely on his ears, he turned the CD player on and folded his left arm behind his head and closed his eyes.   
  
Yami made a face that Yugi couldn't see, "Looks like there's no point in me being out," he sighed as he vanished back into the puzzle.   
  
ooo  
  
"Finally time to go home," Grandpa said.   
  
"Great," Yugi mumbled drowsily from his painkillers. His parents insisted that he at least take them for the ride home, since they weren't going to be the ones driving.   
  
"Good thing Tea didn't ask to come," Bakura said as Yugi parents got Yugi into the car, "she wouldn't have any place to sit, the way you're situated."   
  
Yugi grunted in reply, too drowsy to do anything else. He knew he was going to sleep on the way home, which was perfectly fine with him. The way he was sitting, his back against the left inside door, with his right leg stretched out over the rest of the seat, and yet they still managed to get the seatbelt on him. The doctor had advised him not keep that leg bent very much until the stitches were out, so Yugi's parents were making sure of it.  
  
"Have a nice nap," Mick said as he gently tossed a pillow to Yugi.   
  
Yugi didn't even reply to that, he just situated the pillow behind him and went to sleep.   
  
"Ready?" Grandpa asked.  
  
"He looks good to go," Anna said. "Drive safe."   
  
"Don't tell me," Grandpa said, "Tell him." He pointed to Bakura, whom rolled his eyes and went to get into the driver's seat as Grandpa bid his son and daughter-in-law one last goodbye. Finally he got in the car. "Okay, lets go home."  
  
ooo   
  
It took them two hours to get home, and when they did, Joey, Tristan and Tea were waiting for them.   
  
"Did he sleep the whole way?" Tea asked as they peered at Yugi through the open window.  
  
"Pretty much," Grandpa answered.   
  
"Can I wake him up?" Joey asked: the mischievous glint in his eye was plainly obvious.  
  
Grandpa sighed, "All right, just don't cause him to hurt himself."  
  
"Heh, I won't," Joey said as he stuck his head in the window. He took in a deep breath and yelled, "Hey pharoh reincarnate, wake up!" He received a pillow in the face for that. "Good afternoon," he said cheerfully when the pillow fell away.  
  
Yugi glared at his friend, but that was all.   
  
Grandpa got him out of the car and they all went inside.   
  
"So how were the last few days at your parents'?" Tristan asked.  
  
"Boring," Yugi answered. "All I could do was lay around."  
  
"That's all you can do," Tea pointed out, but she knew he already knew that quite well.  
  
Yugi resisted glaring at her.   
  
"Maybe we should go," Tristan suggested. "Yugi looks like wants to go to sleep again."   
  
"How long are those painkillers supposed to last?" Bakura asked. All Yugi did was shrug in reply.   
  
"Come on," Tea said. "Let's go then, before Yugi falls asleep in his wheelchair."   
  
"But he's done that before," Joey pointed out as they walked out of the house.  
  
ooo  
  
Author's Note: That was one short chapter. But hey, I updated, what a concept! I know it's been a really long time, but now that I'm off for the summer maybe I'll be able to work on this story some more. For those of you that still read this story, review me and tell me what you think. 


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh.  
  
-Telepathy-  
  
(Thoughts)  
  
Chapter 22  
  
"I wonder where Yugi is?" Joey said as he peered through the dark window of the shop.  
  
"Grandpa probably closed up shop early so he could help Yugi get ready," Tea said. "I thought you would have figured that out by now."   
  
"I know I know," Joey muttered. "I just don't want to be late that's all."  
  
"We won't be late," Tea, said. "It's not for another two hours."  
  
"Then why do we have to get there so early?" Tristan asked.  
  
"Don't ask me," Tea said, "Ask the school board."  
  
"At least we don't have to wear the cap and gowns," Tristan said with a grin. "I much prefer suits."  
  
"Uh-oh," Joey said. "I just remembered something."  
  
"What?" Tristan and Tea asked at once.  
  
"Yugi had a physical therapy session this afternoon, he told me he would meet us at the school," Joey answered, and little embarrassed that he had forgotten.  
  
"Joey you idiot!" Tea yelled.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Joey apologized. "Come on, let's go to the collage, they might already be there."  
  
"I need to get a car," Tristan grumbled as they trotted off down the street.   
  
ooo  
  
When they reached the collage, they weren't the only ones getting there.   
  
"How are we supposed to find Yugi in this huge crowd?" Tea asked.   
  
"Pure luck?" Tristan asked.   
  
"Heh, sorry guys, it just totally slipped my mind," Joey said. "I wonder when he's going to be done with those?"  
  
"Didn't the doctors keep saying that he'd be walking by the end of school?" Tea asked.   
  
"Yeah," Tristan said, "but from the looks of how Yugi's physical therapy is going, it may take longer."   
  
Yugi had needed a second surgery for his knee to complete what the first surgery wanted to accomplish. Since then, he'd been through many physical therapy sessions, but they didn't seem to be helping much from what his friends could see.   
  
"Poor Yugi," Tea said. "He really wanted to be done with all of it by now."   
  
"Let's not get too depressed," Tristan said. "Graduation can do that to you anyway."  
  
"Huh?" Joey and Tea asked.  
  
"I went to my cousin's high school graduation," Tristan answered. "You wouldn't believe all of the water works."  
  
ooo   
  
Three waited around in the crowd. Bakura showed up after a little while, but still no sign of Yugi. They began to wonder if he was even going to show up, and they began to get worried when the seniors were called to go to the football field so the graduation ceremony could be begin.   
  
"I don't know what I should be more worried about," Tea said, "The graduation ceremony, or that fact that Yugi may not be able to make it."  
  
"I know how to answer that," Joey said as they came onto the field, the sound of Pomp and Circumstance filling the background. He pointed to the fair end of the field where the first row of chairs was. Sitting in the chair nearest the bleachers, was Yugi.  
  
"When did he get here?" Tristan asked.  
  
"Ask him where this is done with," Bakura said. "None of us sit anywhere close to him, so we won't be able to talk to him until everything is done."   
  
"Darn him," Tea grumbled. "Why do I have the feeling that he has something planned?"  
  
"I don't know," Joey answered.  
  
They all got to their designated seats and stood around until everyone was there. The last of Pomp and Circumstance was played and the field was silent.   
  
The principal got on with the opening ceremony, and then a student speaker came up and spoke of her time at school. After that speaker came another, and then a speech from one of the deans.  
  
"I don't know how any body could find something good to say about this year," Joey mumbled, causing a few of the people sitting near him to chuckle.   
  
After several more speakers, the principal announced that it was time to give out the diplomas.   
  
"But before we do that," the principal said, "There is a person sitting amongst the students that I believe deserves some special acknowledgement." She waited until most of the chatter had died down before continuing. "I know many of you believe that you had a very difficult year, and yes this has been quite a year.   
  
"But one person among you has had the most difficult time out of all of you. That earthquake devastated us all, but one life in particular was affected more. And whose life wouldn't be when the first several months of school was spent stuck in a hospital bed and then in a wheelchair?"   
  
Yugi swallowed as the people next to him turned to look at him. He had sort of been expecting something like this, but he wasn't really expecting it to actually happen. But this helped him a little. He'd had an idea since his physical therapy had began, and now he was able to pull it off, and this was the perfect was to do it.   
  
"Yugi Motuoh," the principal said, "Would you come up here please?"  
  
Yugi heard many people applaud, and stood up. The applause got louder when people noticed he didn't have his crutches, and several people, including his friends, stood up when he began to walk up the small stage without aid.   
  
ooo  
  
The rest of graduation was a blur in Yugi's mind. The next thing he remembered, Joey was clobbering him.  
  
"Is that why you were down here before everyone?" Tea asked as Yugi wrenched away from Joey.  
  
"Pretty much," Yugi answered. "I had that little idea planned for a long time. The principal calling me up made things work even better."  
  
"Are we just going to stand here all night?" Joey asked. "There's still Grad Night."  
  
"We still need to meet up with our parents Joey," Tea pointed out.   
  
"Oh yeah," Joey said as Yugi's parents came through the crowd.   
  
"You're little idea worked Yugi," Grandpa said. Yugi grinned at his grandfather.   
  
"So what is it like to be able to stand on your own to feet without any support?" Tristan asked.  
  
"Very nice," Yugi answered. "No more annoying things to have get stuck somewhere." His friends and family laughed.   
  
"You guys had better find your parents," Grandpa said to the others. "Those buses for Grad Night are probably going to leave soon."  
  
Yugi's friends nodded and started to disperse into the crowd.  
  
"Hey Yug," Joey called, "Meet you in front by the buses okay?"  
  
Yugi nodded, and his friends vanished into the crowd.   
  
"So Yugi," Mick started, "How does it feel to be done with high school?"  
  
Yugi thought for a moment, "That really hasn't sunk in yet. The only thing that I'm really happy about is that I'm fully recovered from everything."  
  
"That is something to be happy about," Anna said.   
  
Yugi nodded, just as fireworks went off in the vacant area of the field.   
  
"Hey," Mick said, "They didn't do that when we graduated."  
  
Yugi grinned, "We're special." Mick ruffled his hair and gently shoved him. Yugi kept his balance and stuck his tongue out at his father. Mick rolled his eyes and Anna and Grandpa laughed.   
  
"Hey Yugi!" Joey yelled from a few yards away. "We're going to the front, you coming?"  
  
Yugi glanced at the fireworks. "I'll be there in a few minutes." Joey nodded and walked off. Yugi looked back up at the fireworks, glad everything was finally done.  
  
ooo  
  
Author's Note: It's done, finally. It's a little short for my liking, but I really just wanted to get it done. The stuff in the graduation part comes from all of my experiences at graduations. I've had to perform in the orchestra at two of them, so I know what happens, at least at the ones that are held at my school. And yes, our school has fireworks at the end, heheh. Review me and tell me what you think, and I don't need to ask you about the sequel because it's all ready up. 


End file.
